Streampaw's Quest
by Jayie The Hufflepuff
Summary: It's not easy being the kits of Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, and his former RiverClan mate Mistyfoot. While Spottedpaw and Rustypaw deal with earning the trust of their Clanmates, Streampaw tries to come to terms with her own difficulties with the warrior code. Sequel to A Misty Flame.
1. A New Dawn

It was just the start of dawn. Pale golden light was pushing against the edge of the darkness, making a red path to escort the rising sun.

A flame-colored tomcat stood on top of High Rock, his green eyes flashing with pride and joy. He yowled out clearly, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting!" Cats came stumbling out of their dens, blinking groggily as the sun hit their eyes.

Several moons had passed since the death of Bluestar. Tigerstar's reign had spread over to RiverClan as he formed TigerClan. He had tried to wipe out all the halfClan warriors, but Mistyfoot, Firestar, Graystripe, and Ravenpaw had been able to sneak Stonefur, Featherpaw, and Stormpaw out of RiverClan territory before Tigerstar could kill them. They were spotted coming out, and Ravenpaw sacrificed himself as a diversion so his friends could escape. His death was still mourned by all of ThunderClan. The battle with BloodClan had ensued, and Mistyfoot slew Darkstripe when the traitor tried to kill Firestar. Firestar killed Scourge, and now the forest was at peace.

Streamkit padded out of the nursery, flanked by her siblings Rustykit and Spottedkit. Sorrelkit, Rainkit, and Sootkit were being led out by Willowpelt a few paces away. Rustykit was trying to act calm and collected, but he was clearly excited beyond words. Spottedkit's tail was fluffed up with excitement, and she looked like she was fighting the urge to bound up the High Rock.

Streamkit's own heart was pounding with both fear and excitement. She had been waiting for this day her whole life, but now that it was here, anxiety began to take over. _What if I'm horrible at hunting and fighting?_ she fretted, _What if my mentor gets fed up with training me? What if Firestar makes me a kit again? What if-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mistyfoot. Her mother leaned down and licked her between the ears, a purr rumbling in her throat. "You'll do fine." She said soothingly, as though she knew what Streamkit was thinking.

Streamkit smiled weakly at her mother, slightly reassured by her words.

Firestar's voice came again. "Today, we are here for one of my favorite ceremonies. Step forward, Streamkit, Rustykit, Spottedkit, Sorrelkit, Sootkit, and Rainkit." Trembling, Streamkit stepped forward with her denmates. Firestar looked down at his kits with warmth and pride in his eyes. "Today, six of our kits will become apprentices."

He looked out into the crowd briefly, then returned his gaze to the kits. "From this moment on, until he has earned his warrior name, this cat shall be known as Sootpaw." He looked out into the crowd. "Ferncloud, you are a noble and loyal warrior. You will make a good mentor for Sootpaw."

Firestar gave Sorrelpaw to Cloudtail and Rainpaw to Longtail. He then turned his warm green gaze on his son. "From this moment on, until he earns his warrior name, this cat shall be known as Rustypaw." The new apprentice's eyes shone as his new name was spoken. Firestar smiled, then resumed, "Graystripe, you have fought through grief and distrust to prove your loyalty to ThunderClan. I trust that you will teach everything Lionheart taught you to Rustypaw."

Rustypaw turned to face the deputy, who had padded out of the crowd to meet him, with surprise. The two touched noses, then retreated into the crowd.

Firestar looked down on Spottedkit next. "From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this cat shall be known as Spottedpaw." The tiny black-and-white she-cat lifted her head and puffed her chest out with pride. "Dustpelt, you have been a fine and loyal warrior for many moons. I trust you will pass on everything Redtail taught you to Spottedpaw."

The small black-and-white she-cat turned proudly to face her new mentor. The two headstrong cats paused for a moment, seeming to size each other up. Then they touched noses briefly, Spottedpaw purring loud enough for her sister to hear.

Firestar finally looked down on Streamkit. The she-kit held her breath, waiting anxiously to hear the verdict. Firestar announced strongly, "From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this cat shall be known as Streampaw." He waied, then continued, "Swiftblaze, you have proven your loyalty to ThunderClan through some of its darkest times. You will make a fine mentor for Streampaw."

Streampaw turned to look at the black-and-white tom who had padded out of the crowd, his amber eyes flashing with pride. Feeling suddenly shy, Streampaw hesitated before reaching out to touch her nose to his. Swiftblaze gave her a quick smile. "Don't worry," he purred with amusement, "I won't bite."

Streampaw lowered her eyes, embarrassed by her fear. Swiftblaze let out a rusty purr. "Come on, the meeting's over. Let's get you a nest in the apprentices' den, then we begin your training. We'll go out in the forest later."

The blue-gray apprentice felt a rush of excitement. _The forest!_Every kit longed to see the forest, ever since they drew their first breath. Unlike most kits, Streampaw had been lucky enough to visit the forest once before her apprentice ceremony. When Streampaw was very young, a pack of savage dogs had followed a trail that led straight to ThunderClan's camp, a trail left by the traitor Tigerstar. In order to escape the dogs, the Clan took shelter at Sunningrocks.

Streampaw could only remember bits and pieces of that fearful trip. She could remember being carried by a lean white warrior with warm yellow eyes, and being carried up into the branches of a tall tree. When she had asked her mother about these fragments, she said that the white warrior was Whitestorm, the ThunderClan deputy who had died in the battle with BloodClan.

Swiftblaze led the new apprentice to the nursery. "First, I want you to clear out the old bedding in here, then you can replace it with new moss. Put the old moss in the durtplace, and ask Cinderpelt for new moss, she usually has some extra lying around."

Streampaw dipped her head, although inwardly she groaned at the thought of cleaning out dens her first day as an apprentice. Swiftblaze must of sensed her dissapointment, for he softened his voice as he added, "After you're done, I'll show you around ThunderClan territory."

Streampaw brightened. "Thanks, Swiftblaze!" She trotted off to the medicine den, an amused Swiftblaze watching her leave. She padded into the den, her nose wrinkling as the scent of several different herbs greeted her. Cinderpelt was sorting through a pile of blue berries when Streampaw walked in. She lifted her head when she heard the apprentice approach. "Ah, so how is ThunderClan's newest apprentice?" She asked, an amused gleam in her eyes.

Streampaw lowered her head in embarrassement. "I need fresh moss for the nursery." She said, eager to get the subject off of her.

Cinderpelt rose to her paws. "Sure thing." She turned back to her stores and pawed out a pile of fresh moss. She passed it over to Streampaw. "Here you go. Come back if you need more."

The young blue-gray cat nodded. "I will." She scooped the moss up into a bundle and picked it up gentley in her jaws. She bid Cinderpelt farewell and backed out of the den, making her way towards the nursery.

Inside the nursery, Sandstorm was curled up watching her three kits, Harekit, Cottonkit, and Gingerkit, chase each other gleefully around the den. Brightgaze was lying asleep on her nest, but she lifted her head when Streampaw came in. "Hello Streampaw." She said sleepily. "What do you need?" The ginger-and-white she-cat's belly was beginning to swell with her and Swiftblaze's kits.

Streampaw dipped her head. "Swiftblaze wants me to replace the old bedding."

Brightgaze's eyes shone with sympathy. "Ah, den-cleaning duties. Don't worry, you'll get out into the forest soon." She gave her chest a couple thoughtful licks before adding, "Listen, I'll put the new moss in place while you clear out the old stuff."

"Really?" The apprentice asked in surprise. When the queen nodded afirmingly, Streampaw purred, "Thanks Brightgaze!"

She padded over to Sandstorm's nest and began to scrape the dirty moss into a bundle small enough to carry. Sandstorm watched the apprentice work with narrowed eyes. The pale ginger queen and her mate Dustpelt held a deep-seated grudge against Firestar and his kin. Dustpelt never seemed as hateful as his mate. He seemed to mostly accept that the past was the past and that it was best just to move on. Besides, he'd come out of the whole thing as the mate of the cat he loved.

Sandstorm was another story. Her green eyes were cold as ice whenever she looked on Firestar or his kin, hatred burning in their depths. She had never forgiven Firestar for leaving her for a RiverClan cat. She often said that she was happy with Dustpet, but Streampaw wasn't so sure. She seemed distant with him, as though she were unaware he was there, or trying to convince herself of that. It was as if she were dissapointed that he wasn't Firestar.

The pale ginger queen snapped irritably at Streampaw, "Hurry up! My kits need to rest, and they can't do that with you blundering around like a three-legged badger!" Judging by the way her kits were racing around in their game of tag, Streampaw suspected that Sandstorm's story of them having to rest was just and excuse to make her job harder. The apprentice gritted her teeth and continued on in silence.

After Streampaw cleared out the dirty moss, Brighthaze told her to go meet Swiftblaze. "I can finish up in here." She said with a smile. Judging by Sandstorm's irritated hiss, she wasn't pleased that Brightgaze was being so kind to Firestar's daughter. Streampaw dipped her head with a purr. "Thanks Brightgaze." She turned and padded out of the nursery.

She found Swiftgaze eating a mouse by the warrior's den. "I finished with the nursery." She announced shyly, still intimidated by the sharp-tongued warrior. "Brightgaze helped."

Swiftblaze's expression softened at the mention of his mate. "She's a good cat." He murmured. Then he looked down at his apprentice with a smile. "Are you ready to go out into the forest?"

Streampaw tried to keep from bouncing up and down from excitement. _You're not a kit anymore,_she reminded herself fiercely. Out loud, she meowed, "Yes!"

Swiftblaze gulped down the last of his mouse and rose to his paws. "Then let's go." His head held high, the young warrior led his new apprentice out into ThumderClan territory.

* * *

This is the sequel to my MistfootXFirestar story A Misty Flame.


	2. Daughter of Two Clans

Swiftblaze led Streampaw up out of the ravine and into the forest beyond. Streampaw stared at the towering trees and vast undergrowth in awe. Birds chirped and sang in the distance, and a thousand different scents of plants and prey drifted on the chilly morning air.

Swiftblaze led her through the undergrowth, his black-and-white pelt standing out easily from the green foilage. Streampaw struggled to keep up, her paws being unused to having foilage underpaw, her shorter legs making her slower. She gritted her teeth and pushed on, determined not to make a fool of herself in front of her mentor.

Her mentor led her to a sandy clearing. Streampaw sat down, glad to have leaf-free ground underpaw. Swiftblaze padded around to stand in front of her, his amber eyes warm. "This is the sandy hollow. We'll be doing most of our battle training here. The sandy ground is ideal for battle practice."

Streampaw slid her claws out, running them over the soft sand. "I see what you mean." She murmured. The soft surface would cushion their falls.

Swiftblaze brushed his tail against Streampaw's shoulder as he passed her. "Follow me." He ordered. He took off once more at a easy pace, leaving Streampaw to follow as best she could through the thick undergrowth.

He led her further into the forest. They walked for several minutes before he called out over his shoulder, "We're getting closer to the thunderpath. Can you smell it?"

Streampaw opened her mouth and ran the air over her scent gland, recoiling as a harsh, foul odor greeted her. Moments later, she heard a loud, thunderous roar in the distance. Her eyes widened. "What was that?"

Swiftblaze turned his head slightly to look back at his apprentice, his eyes glittering with amusement. "You'll see." No sooner had the warrior spoken before the trees cleared to reveal a long stretch of black, smelly stone. Streampaw looked down at the stone path, her nose wrinkling. "Is this the thunderpath?"

Swiftblaze nodded. "Yes. This is where ShadowClan's territory and our territory meet. Can you smell their scent-marks?"

Streampaw leaned toward the Thunderpath and tasted the air again. Underneath the stench of the Thunderpath, she could just barely smell a foul, sharp cat-scent. She resisted the urge to gag and nodded. "Yeah, a bit."

Suddenly, another roar sounded in the distance, growing steadily louder. Swiftblaze hissed urgently, "Get back!" Startled, Streampaw jerked her head back.

A giant blue creature roared past them, its great black paws carrying it across the Thunderpath faster than the fastest WindClan cat could run. Streampaw barely had time to feel fear before the creature had gone. She gaped at the place where the creature had disappeared. "What _was_ that?!" She asked shakily.

Swiftblaze seemed almost entirely at ease. He lifted his paw and rasped his tongue over it a few times, then drew his paw ove his ear. "It was a monster." He said calmly. "Twolegs ride them across the Thunderpath."

Streampaw tried to control her trembling. She was not a coward, but the sight of the monster had shaken her. "Why?" The monster had looked more like it would devour twolegs rather then carry them anywhere.

Swiftblaze let out an impatient snort. "How should I know? Twolegs are mouse-brained." He got to his paws. "Come on, let's go. I want to show you the other borders."

Streampaw followed Swiftblaze back out into the forest. He led the apprentice to each of ThunderClan's landmarks, from Tallpines to Treecut Place to Snakerocks. The sun was beginning its descent when Swiftblaze took her to the river. "This is Sunningrocks." He said, waving his tail at the flat expanse of rock they stood on. "That over there's the river, which borders RiverClan's territory."

Streampaw looked down at the rushing water of the river. The quiet murmur of the water as it trickled past was soothing to hear, and Streampaw could imagine how soothing the water would feel sliding over her fur on a hot day. She lifted her gaze to look out into the territory beyond. "So that's where my mother grew up." She said in a quiet voice.

Swiftblaze hesitated, his expression darkening. "Yes."

Streampaw had noticed Swiftblaze's hesitation. She knew that he, among other warriors, still distrusted Mistyfoot for being raised in RiverClan, even though she had been born in ThunderClan. The truth of Mistyfoot and Stonefur's parentage had been revealed the day Bluestar had died. The Clan refused to believe it at first, but Firestar managed to convince them of the truth.

Streampaw turned to face her mentor, drawing herself to her full, although small, height. "I am not ashamed to have a RiverClan-raised mother." She said in a quiet but firm voice.

Swiftblaze looked surprised for a moment, then let out a short purr. "And I am not ashamed to have a half-RiverClan apprentice." He said kindly. The black-and-white warrior brushed his tail-tip against Streampaw's shoulder. "Come on, time to head back to camp. Firestar will be wondering where we got to."

After trekking through the forest for a while, mentor and apprentice finally reached the ravine. Streampaw's paws ached, and she was more tired than she had ever been before, but she was happy. She had explored ThunderClan territory, and she had a mentor who didn't judge her for being halfClan.

The blue-gray apprentice grabbed a thrush off the fresh-kill pile and carried it over to the apprentices' den. Spottedpaw and Rustypaw were sitting near the entrance, sharing a squirrel. Streampaw padded over to join them. "Hey guys."

Rustypaw leaned forward and touched noses with his sister. "How was training with Swiftblaze?" He asked.

Streampaw purred, "Great! He showed me the territory." She leaned down and began to eat her thrush.

Her brother began to wash the squirrel's fur from his paws. "Lucky you. Graystripe had me cleaning out dens all day. I think he wanted to prove that he wouldn't be soft on me just because I'm his best friend's son."

Streampaw lifted her muzzle from the thrush and frowned with sympathy. "Tough luck. Maybe tomorrow he'll show you the forest."

Rustypaw brightened at that. "Maybe." He turned to Spottedpaw. "How was your first day?" He asked. "Dustpelt wasn't too hard on you, was he?"

Spottedpaw let out an amused snort. "Hardly. He started me off with battle practice." She lifted her head confidently. "I think I impressed him, though of course he didn't say anything of the sort. He just said that I wasn't a lost cause."

Streampaw frowned with concern. "He didn't work you too hard, did he? He probably shouldn't have started with battle practice on the first day."

Spottedpaw rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Streampaw. We just went over a few basic moves. Stop worrying so much. Just because I'm small doesn't mean I can't take care of myself." She gave her chest a few thoughtful licks. "Dustpelt wasn't that bad honestly, he was just grumpy more than anything. Sandstorm's always been the worst of the two at any rate."

Streampaw tried to push back her concern for her younger sister. Even at six moons, Spottedpaw looked no larger than a three-moon-old kit. She looked small and fragile, but she never let anyone get away with calling her tiny. Streampaw worried that one day her reckless nature would get her in trouble.

Rustypaw broke the silence. "Come on, let's get our nests set up." He led his sisters into the den.

Sorrelpaw and Rainpaw had set up nests next to each other and were conversing quietly. Sootpaw was asleep on Sorrelpaw's other side. Bramblepaw slept alone on the other side of the den. Rustypaw selected a spot close to Bramblepaw. Spottedpaw chose a spot between her brother and Bramblepaw, and Streampaw filled the spot between her siblings and Willowpelt's kits. She spread some moss over her spot, then lay down, curling up comfortably. Her first day as an apprentice was over, and now moons and moons of training were stretching out before her.


	3. What Doesn't Kill You

Five days after becoming an apprentice, Spottedpaw woke to see Rustypaw standing in front of her. "Dustpelt told me to wake you." He said apologetically.

The she-cat lifted her head to see pale golden light spilling into the den through the entrance. _It must be dawn._ The she-cat thought. She split her jaws open in a massive yawn, then got to her paws. "Thanks. I'll go see what he wants." She said to her brother.

The black-and-white apprentice padded out of the den, and grabbed a mouse off the fresh-kill pile. The rest of the Clan was begging to wake as well. Thornpelt and Longtail were sitting together by the fresh-kill pile, and Sandstorm was eating a vole near the nursery's entrance, her kits playing several foxlengths away.

Harekit chased Gingerkit a few mouselengtgs away from where Spottedpaw sat. Firestar's daughter lashed her tail with frustration when she realized that Sandstorm's three-moon-old kits were still a little taller than her. Spottedpaw's hated being small. At six moons old, she still looked like she belonged in the nursery.

She dug her claws into the ground. Her Clanmates often treated her like a kit, like she needed to be protected and treated with pity just because she was small. That was one of the reasons she liked having Dustpelt as a mentor. It was refreshing to work with a cat who worked her just as hard as any other apprentices. He had showed her around the territory on her second day of training, then he had reverted back to battle training.

Spottedpaw suspected that he was trying to intimidate her with all that battle training, but she enjoyed it. It was fun to be able to spar with someone other than her siblings. Besides that, Spottedpaw enjoyed fighting. She liked testing her strength against another cat's strength, using her size and speed to her advantage, thinking up moves on the spot. She couldn't wait for her first battle, so she could try those moves for real.

Suddenly, a gruff voice sounded behind her. "Up at last, are we?" Spottedpaw turned to see Dustpelt standing behind her, his tail flicking impatiently.

Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes. "I'm ready when you are." She said challengingly. She'd finished her mouse while she'd been reflecting.

Dustpelt simply let out a snort. "Come on." He turned and started padding away towards the entrance. Spottedpaw followed him, determined to keep up with the long-legged warrior.

The brown tabby led his apprentice through the forest to the training hollow. Spottedpaw struggled through the undergrowth, determined to keep up with Dustpelt's pace. When they reached the sandy hollow, Dustpelt padded to the other side and turned to face his apprentice. "Show me that leap and hold move I showed you." He said shortly.

Spottedpaw crouched down, reviewing the move in her head before she pounced. She leaped onto Dustpelt's back, twisting around so she could grab onto Dustpelt's scruff in her jaws. The brown tabby struggled to throw her off, but she dug her claws into his pelt and held on.

Dustpelt suddenly rolled onto his side. Startled, Spottedpaw was able to jump off his back before he rolled over onto his back. The warrior twisted and sprang easily to his paws. He looked down at his apprentice. "Not bad." He said grudgingly. "But you should have been prepared for my counter attack."

Spottedpaw felt a brief flash of annoyance. "I'm not a mind reader!" She snapped irritably. At the spark of irritation in Dustpelt's eyes, she tried to push away her annoyance. "How should I have countered?"

The dark tabby narrowed his eyes. "You're small and quick. Use those to your advantage. Don't try to stay on my back. My weight will crush you. Try slipping off at the first sign that I'm going to roll, then get at my exposed belly while I'm on the ground."

Spottedpaw gave a short nod. "Alright. Can we try again?" No sooner had Dustpelt nodded than Spottedpaw threw herself at him again, once again grasping his scruff in her jaws. This time, however, she had no intentions of letting him take her by surprise. She swung her body so she was hanging onto his left shoulder. She pulled down on his scruff, using her weight to pull him down towards the ground. Dustpelt let out a surprised growl as he came crashing to the ground.

Spottedpaw slipped off his back before he fell. As Dustpelt fell, she slipped around to his other side and sliced at his stomach with carefully sheathed paws. "Got you!" She purred triumphantly.

Dustpelt got to his paws, shaking sand out of his fur. "Clever." He grunted. "Well done, using your weight to pull me down." Grudging respect flashed in his eyes. "Now let's see if you can do this move."

They practiced until the sun began to set. By the time Dustpelt said they should get back to camp, Spottedpaw's muscles ached and her cheek stung where Dustpelt's claws acidently scratched her, but she was happy. She'd learned some new moves, and Dustpelt had complimented her on her agility, however gruffly. She followed him through the forest, tired but content.

When they got back to the ravine, they saw that cats were gathered in groups, chattering excitedly. Dustpelt paused. "What's going on?"

Sorrelpaw padded over, her eyes shining with excitement. "Brightgaze had her kits!" She mewed. "Two she-kits."

Dustpelt let out a short purr. "That's great." He looked down briefly at his apprentice. "Go see them if you want. I'll visit later."

Spottedpaw purred, "Thanks!" She padded towards the nursery, grabbing a squirrel off the fresh-kill pile on the way. _Swiftblaze has probably been in there all day worrying._ Spottedpaw reasoned. _He'll be hungry by now. Maybe Brightgaze'll want something too._

Brightgaze was lying on her side, looking tired but happy. Swiftblaze was sitting beside his mate with pride shining in his eyes. Two small bundles lay by Brightgazes side. The larger was a ginger-and-white she-kit like her mother with patches like her father. Her eyes would be blue when they opened. The smaller was a black, white, and ginger calico she-kit, whose eyes would be amber when they opened.

Spottedpaw dropped the squirrel in front of the new parents. "I figured you might want something to eat." She said.

Swiftblaze blinked gratefully at her. "Thanks."

As the new father ate, Spottedpaw turned to look at the kits. "They're so cute! Have you thought of names yet?"

Brightgaze nodded. "The calico is Dawnkit, and the ginger-and-white is Flowerkit."

Spottedpaw purred, "They will be great warriors." Brightgaze was beginning to look sleepy, so Spottedpaw said goodbye and left the den. As she padded out, she felt a surge of confidence. _ThunderClan is growing strong again._ She thought proudly. _We are recovering from the war with BloodClan. We will recover from that blow stronger than ever before._


	4. Blood and Loyalty

A half-moon into her training, Streampaw was following Swiftblaze back to camp, two cardinals held in her jaws and a sparrow grasped under her chin. Swiftblaze carried a squirrel and a vole, and his eyes shone with pride.

At the ravine, mentor and apprentice were recieved warmly. Warriors began filtering out of their dens, congradulating the two on their haul. Sandstorm's kits came tumbling out of the nursery, their eyes wide as they saw Streampaw. "Wow, did you really catch all those?" Harekit asked with awe in his eyes. Streampaw nodded proudly.

"You should have seen her." Swiftblaze had deposited his squirrel and vole on the fresh-kill pile and had returned in time to hear Harekit's question. "She leaped high enough to paw a twoleg's head. I've never seen a cat jump so high."

Firestar and Mistyfoot padded out of the leader's den, pride gleaming in their eyes. Mistyfoot rubbed muzzles with her daughter, a purr rumbling in her throat. "Well done, Streampaw." She purred.

Firestar touched noses with his daughter with an equally loud purr. "Great catch." He purred proudly. In a softer voice he added, "You, your brother, and your sister should go get some rest. You'll need it for tonight's Gathering. Tell Willowpelt's kits that they're coming too."

Streampaw froze, her paws tingling with excitement. The Gathering was the only time all four Clans could meet in peace. To be chosen to go was a great honor. She managed to give her a father a grateful purr before bounding away, suddenly full of energy. She dropped her three catches on the pile and practically tripped over her own paws in her hurry to get to the apprentices' den.

Spottedpaw was still out training with Dustpelt. Rustypaw was sitting by the entrance, sharing a squirrel with Sorrelpaw. Streampaw padded up to the pair, a purr building in her chest. "Firestar wants us to rest for the Gathering tonight." She mewed proudly.

Sorrelpaw and Rustypaw swapped excited glances. The tortoiseshell mewed excitedly, "I didn't think I'd get to go the first time! What about my brothers?"

Streampaw nodded. "They're coming too, and so is Spottedpaw."

Rustypaw let out a purr. "I can't wait to meet the other Clans." He stood, and Sorrelpaw followed suit. "Come on, let's grab a quick nap before we go."

As the moon began to rise into the sky, the cats Firestar had chosen began to gather at the camp's entrance. Streampaw saw Swiftblaze standing near the nursery's entrance. Puzzled, she padded over. "Aren't you coming?" She inquired.

Swiftblaze shook his head. "I want to stay with Brightgaze." He explained. "Don't worry, I've asked Ashfur to show you around. You'll be fine."

Streampaw dipped her head, less confident about the prospect. "Alright. See you when I get back."

She headed back to the entrance. As she rejoined the crowd, a speckled gray tom padded up to her. "Hey Streampaw." He mewed warmly. "Nice catch earlier."

Streampaw let out a purr. "Thanks Ashfur." The gray tom had been a warrior for a half-moon, but he and Streampaw had become good friends, despite never being denmates. Ashfur didn't seem to mind at all that she was halfClan. He treated her like any other Clanmate.

Firestar led the ThunderClan warriors through the forest, his flame-colored head held high. Ashfur stayed by Streampaw's side, chatting lightly with the apprentice. Streampaw was glad for the company. She had been nervous about coming to the Gathering without her mentor, but having Ashfur there made her feel better about it.

Spottedpaw stood beside her Clanmates, looking down into Fourtrees. The four great oaks stood proud and tall, a permenant symbol of the four warrior Clans. Spottedpaw could see cats milling around the Great Rock, exchanging greetings.

Firestar bounded down towards the Great Rock with his tail streamlining behind him. The rest of the Clan followed him, their heads held high and their eyes flashing with pride. Spottedpaw ran beside Bramblepaw and Sootpaw, her heart pounding with excitement.

The ThunderClan cats reached the base of the Great Rock. They began to disperse and mingle with the other Clans, taking advantage of the full-moon truce. Spottedpaw padded away from her Clanmates, walking towards a group of apprentices a few foxlengths away.

The apprentices looked at her as she approached. Spottedpaw held her head high. "Hi."

One cat, a black ShadowClan tom, let out a disdainful sniff. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the nursery, kit?"

Spottedpaw bristled indignantly, cursing her small size. Small wonder they thought she was a kit. "I'm not kit!" She spat. "I'm six moons old, a proper apprentice. I'm Spottedpaw of ThunderClan."

The black tom just glared at her. One of the other apprentices, a RiverClan she-cat, narrowed her eyes at the tom. "Leave her alone." She warned. She turned to Spottedpaw and mewed warmly, "Ignore him. I'm Featherpaw of RiverClan, and this is my brother Stormpaw. That mousebrain over there is Smokepaw of ShadowClan."

Spottedpaw looked thoughtfully at the RiverClan apprentices. They looked familiar somehow. "I remember you." Spottedpaw realized aloud. "You're Graystripe's kits. You and Stonefur stayed with ThunderClan a few moons ago."

Featherpaw nodded. "That was us. Thank StarClan that Firestar saved us from TigerClan." She looked thoughtfully at the ThunderClan apprentice. "Your his and Mistyfoot's daughter, aren't you? I remember seeing you in the nursery."

Smokepaw pricked his ears. "I thought Mistyfoot was a RiverClan warrior. So you're halfClan, huh?"

Spottedpaw flattened her ears. The black tom was beginning to get on her nerves. "So what if I am?" She asked boldly.

Smokepaw curled his lip. "Your Clan has always been too fond of halfClan and kittypet scum. I guess you're both, seeing who your parents are."

Spottedpaw fought to keep from attacking the obnoxious apprentice. "Next battle with ShadowClan, I'll show you just what halfClan scum can do." She snarled, fluffing out her fur agressevly.

Smokepaw looked surprised by the small cat's boldness. He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Mistyfoot, who had padded over with Rustypaw and Streampaw at her side. "Spottedpaw, could you come here for a moment?" Puzzled, Spottedpaw followed her mother away from the apprentices.

Mistyfoot led her kits to a group of four RiverClan apprentices. Mistyfoot padded over to weave among the RiverClan apprentices. "Spottedpaw, Streampaw, Rustypaw, I want you to meet your half-siblings." She gestured to each cat in turn as she continued, "This is Swallowpaw, Reedpaw, Dawnpaw, and Graypaw."

Spottedpaw pricked her ears, interested. She'd heard Mistyfoot mention their RiverClan siblings a few times, but she'd never met them before. Dawnpaw and Graypaw both had gray pelts and sleek builds like their half-sister Streampaw. Reedpaw was smaller than his siblings like Spottedpaw, but he had a lean, leggy build as well. Swallowpaw had a thick, dark brown tabby pelt unlike any of her half-siblings.

Graypaw padded up to Spottedpaw, her blue eyes warm. "Nice to meet you. Is this your first Gathering?"

Spottedpaw nodded. "We became apprentices a half-moon ago. How long have you been training?" By the way the gray she-cat towered over Spottedpaw, Graypaw wasn't too far from her warrior ceremony.

Graypaw lifted her head proudly. "Five moons. Stonefur says we'll probably be warriors soon."

Spottedpaw began to relax. These cats weren't too diferent from her own Clanmates. "Is he your mentor?"

Graypaw nodded. "Who's yours?"

Spottedpaw flicked her tail towards the place where her mentor sat. "Dustpelt."

Graypaw frowned sympathetically. "I've met him. He seems pretty strict."

The small she-cat let out a short purr of confidence. "I can handle it."

Rustypaw was talking to Reedpaw and Dawnpaw when he heard Firestar's yowl. "This Gathering has begun!"

He turned to see Firestar standing on the Great Rock, his flame-colored pelt glowing in the moonlight. Beside him stood a massive white tom with black paws, an elderly black-and-white tom, and a golden spotted she-cat. Firestar stepped forward first. "ThunderClan welcomes two new warriors tonight. Ashfur and Ferncloud have recieved their warrior names."

Warriors from all four Clans cheered for the new warriors. "Ashfur! Ferncloud! Ashfur! Ferncloud!" Ashfur and Ferncloud, who stood near Streampaw, held up their heads proudly. Rustypaw felt a rush of pride. _The arrival of new warriors shows how strong ThunderClan has become,_ he thought.

Firestar waved his tail for silence. "We also have six new apprentices in our midst. Welcome Sootpaw, Sorrelpaw, Rainpaw, Spottedpaw, Streampaw, and Rustypaw."

Rustypaw lifted his head proudly, his paws tingling with excitement as cats cheered his name. "Sorrelpaw! Sootpaw! Rainpaw! Spottedpaw! Streampaw! Rustypaw!"

Firestar dipped his head. "Other than that, ThunderClan has nothing to report."

He stepped back, allowing the elderly black-and-white tom to step forward. Rustypaw noticed his long, winding tail. _He must be Tallstar, leader of WindClan,_ Rustypaw realized.

Tallstar announced, "WindClan is faring well. Rabbits are plentiful this newleaf. There was a badger that tried to settle in our territory, but we drove it off. It went towards RiverClan territory, so keep an eye out Leopardstar."

The spotted she-cat, Leopardstar, nodded curtly. "I'll warn the patrols." Her focus seemed to be more on the white tom. Her eyes were narrowed, and her tail was swishing irritably.

Tallstar dipped his head. "I have nothing more to report."

The white tom tried to step forward next, but Leopardstar cut him off, a low growl building in her throat. She came to the front of the Great Rock and snarled, "I bring news of treachery! ShadowClan has been stealing prey from RiverClan!"


	5. On Thin Ice

Streampaw flattened her ears, shocked by Leopardstar's furious accusation. She heard outraged yowls from the ShadowClan warriors. Blackstar stood on the Great Rock, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "ShadowClan has not so much as put a claw over your border." He snarled, his tail lashing. "Besides, what use do we have for your fish?"

Leopardstar bared her teeth. "I did not say fish. Just because we don't hunt land prey doesn't mean we can't tell when it is being stolen. My border patrols found kingfisher's blood well into our territory that reeked of ShadowClan."

Out of the corner of her eye, Streampaw noticed two young ShadowClan warriors glancing guiltily at each other. She narrowed her eyes at them, thinking quickly. Was all this dispute over prey theft the fault of two inexperienced warriors? She thought about telling someone, then quickly dismissed the idea. She had nothing to go on.

Blackstar let out a dismissive snort. "So you say. How do you know your warriors didn't steal it from ShadowClan territory and bring it back into yours?"

Leopardstar bristled. "How dare you!" Yowls of fury rose from the RiverClan cats. Streampaw watched with horror as the RiverClan cats faced off the ShadowClan cats, their eyes gleaming with fury and their fangs bared. _This isn't right!_ Streampaw thought fearfully. _We're all Clan cats! We shouldn't be fighting like this!_

Suddenly thunder rumbled in the distance, an ominous sound that rose above the cats' snarls. A few wisps of cloud floated over the moon, leaving Fourtress in darkness. Startled yowls broke out from the crowd, along with a few fearful screeches. Streampaw, flattened herself against the ground, trembling in fear. She looked up at the sky. Was StarClan showing their displeasure?

A firm voice rose above the crowd. "StarClan has sent clouds over the moon! We must not fight during the truce!" Streampaw saw that the speaker was a small brown tabby tom.

Firestar stood on the Great Rock, his head held high, his green eyes flashing. "Littlecloud is right. We must obey the full-moon truce."

Leopardstar looked furious, but made no comment, only lashing her tail in anger. Blackstar padded towards her, obviously making an effort to be courteous. "Leopardstar, I swear by StarClan that ShadowClan hasn't stolen prey from your lands. Let's not shed blood needlessly."

The spotted she-cat glared at the tom for a moment before dipping her head in consent. "Very well Blackstar. RiverClan accepts your word - for now." The warriors below relaxed as their leaders declared peace. Streampaw let out a sigh of relief. Seeing the Clans that close to battle had worried her. She hated the idea of cats with so much in common and with so much honor fighting over something as petty as young cats straying over the border.

Blackstar and Leopardstar gave brief reports, then Firestar drew the Gathering to a close. The four leaders leaped off the Great Rock. Dawnpaw, who sat beside her half sister, mewed in a friendly tone, "See you later Streampaw!" She and her siblings padded away to join their Clan.

Streampaw made her over to her Clanmates. Rustypaw and Spottedpaw slowed to walk beside their sister. Spottedpaw was mewing excitedly, "I can't wait for our next battle with ShadowClan! I'll teach that stupid apprentice what ThunderClan cats are made of!"

Streampaw stared at her sister, shocked. "You _want_ the Clans to fight?"

Spottedpaw looked surprised. "Why not? We're cats. We have claws for a reason. I'm not saying everything should be solved with fighting, but we can't just sit back and watch cats steal our prey either."

Streampaw fluffed out her fur indignantly. "Clans shouldn't fight over something as needless as prey disputes. We're all desendants of StarClan. We should be working together, not turning our claws on each other. We have too much in common to be fighting amongst ourselves. We'd be stronger if we all worked together."

Spottedpaw and Rustypaw shared a surprised glance. Spottedpaw pointed out, "The warrior code says that cats must always fight to defend their Clan and can never be loyal to another."

Streampaw lashed her tail, feeling unusually angry. "The warrior code can be wrong. What's the point of these battles anyway? They prove nothing! ThunderClan can win Sunningrocks in one battle only for RiverClan to reclaim it in the next. We'd be better off working together to survive rather than wasting our strength fighting each other."

Spottedpaw let out a dismissive snort. "And what about rouges and kittypets?" She inquired drily. "Are we supposed to just let them stroll into our territory and have their pick of the fresh kill pile?"

Her sister shook her head impatiently. "If they're invading our territory, then yes, we should chase them out. I'm not saying we shouldn't chase out intruders. I'm just saying intruding another Clan's territory and trying to steal prey or territory. Sure, it gains you territory, but it also gains you the hatred of another Clan, all over territory that could easily be lost in the next battle to come. If we all worked together and shared our territory, we wouldn't have these problems."

She hadn't realized she'd been snarling the words out until she saw the surprise on her sibling's faces. They weren't used to seeing their soft-spoken sister get so worked up over something. The near-battle atmosphere at the Gathering had really rubbed her fur the wrong way.

Rustypaw brushed his tail comfortingly against Streampaw's side. "Calm down. The Clans are at peace right now. There's no need to worry about battles yet." He threw a sharp glance toward Spottedpaw, silently willing her to keep her mouth shut.

Streampaw let out a shaky breath, willing herself to relax. Rustypaw was right. There was nothing to worry about - yet.

She turned a sheepish glance towards her sister. "Sorry for snapping at you like that." She appologized.

Spottedpaw shrugged good-naturedly. "No problem. I like a good arguement every now and then." She grinned mischieviously. "Makes life more fun."

Streampaw let out an amused purr. "Let's catch up, we're gonna get left behind soon." The three siblings hurried after their Clanmates, their pelts brushing and their eyes flashing with pride from having been to their first Gathering.


	6. Promises and Warnings

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Spottedpaw looked up to see Firestar standing on the High Rock, his flame-colored pelt glowing in the sunlight. She bounded over to sit before the rock, her legs filled with the strength of three moons of training. She sat beside the much-taller Rustypaw, who greeted her by briefly touching his nose to hers.

Once the crowd had gathered, Firestar announced, I have two ceremonies to preform today. The first is the making of new apprentices. Step forward Harekit, Cottonkit, and Gingerkit."

Sandstorm's kits bounded forward, mewling with excitement. Even now, they were larger than Spottedpaw. Harekit looked like he was trying to be solemn, but his excitement was too much. Cottonkit looked positivly gleeful. Gingerkit looked very nervous, looking back at her mother for support. Sandstorm gave a stiff nod, her hateful green eyes locked on Firestar.

Firestar looked down at the gray-brown tabby tom and mewed, "From this moment on, until he recieves his warrior name, this cat shall be known as Harepaw." As the Clan cheered the apprentice's name, the leader looked out into the crowd. "Willowpelt, you are a noble and courageous warrior. I know you will pass on all your skills to Harepaw." Willowpelt padded out of the crowd. His eyes shining with excitement, Harepaw touched noses with his new mentor.

Firestar looked at the kits once more. "From this moment on, until she earns her warrior name, this cat shall be known as Gingerpaw." His gaze fell on one warrior. "Thornpelt, you waited patiently for your warrior name even when it looked like it would never come. I trust you will pass on all that Mousefur and Brindleface taught you."

Thornpelt stepped forward, sadness flashing in his eyes as Firestar named both of his deceased mentors. He touched noses with the nervous Gingerpaw. Spottedpaw felt a pang of sympathy for the new apprentice. Thornpelt was a stern warrior.

Firestar returned his gaze to the last remaining kit. "From this moment on, until she earns her warrior name, this cat shall be known as Cottonpaw." He paused before continuing, "Cottonpaw, Cinderpelt has offered you the post of medicine cat apprentice. Do you accept this offer?"

Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd. By the lack of surprise on Cottonpaw's face, she and Cinderpelt had already talked about this. She mewed excitedly, "I do!"

Purrs of amusent rippled through the crowd. Firestar continued, "Then at the next half moon, you will travel with Cinderpelt to the Moonstone to be accepted by StarClan. Good luck to you."

The Clan cheered for the apprentices. "Harepaw! Gingerpaw! Cottonpaw! Harepaw! Gingerpaw! Cottonpaw!"

Firestar waited for the cheering to die down before continuing. "My next duty is the naming of a new warrior." Spottedpaw spotted Bramblepaw padding towards the High Rock with a sleek, well-groomed pelt, escorted by Graystripe.

Firestar leaped from the High Rock to stand before his apprentice. Spottedpaw saw the brief flash of distrust in her father's eyes. She realized with a pang of irritation that he must be thinking of Tigerstar, Bramblepaw's murderous father. Spottedpaw lashed her tail with irritation. What did it matter that Bramblepaw was Tigerstar's son? Just because she was half kittypet and a quarter RiverClan didn't mean that she liked to swim or wear a collar. She only had a quarter of ThunderClan blood in her, yet she devoted her life to ThunderClan because she chose to. Bramblepaw didn't have to follow in the pawsteps of his father. Why couldn't firestar see that?

Firestar began with the words that every Clan leader had spoken since the dawn of the Clans, "I, Firestar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn."

He looked down at the dark tabby. "Bramblepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Bramblepaw lifted his head, his voice carrying such heavy conviction that no cat could doubt the truth of his words. "I do."

Firestar continued, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Bramblepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Brambleclaw. StarClan honors your courage and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Spottedpaw twitched her whiskers in surprise. Her father had called Bramblepaw loyal. Did that mean he trusted him now? She purred with satisfaction. Perhaps she had imagined the distrust in his eyes earlier.

As the meeting dispersed, Brambleclaw padded over to Spottedpaw and Rustypaw. The ginger apprentice purred, "Congradulations Brambleclaw!"

The dark tabby looked proud enough to burst. "Thanks! I can't wait to move into the warriors den." Mischief flashed in his eyes. "Guess I can order you two around now, huh?"

Spottedpaw reached out and batted at his ear briefly. "Just because you're a warrior now doesn't mean I can't still kick your tail in battle training."

Brambleclaw let out a purr of amusement. "Yeah right."

Rustypaw changed the subject. "Can you believe Cottonpaw became Cinderpelt's apprentice?" He asked.

Spottedpaw shook her head. "I know! I can't imagine being anything but a warrior! Who wants to be stuck with herbs all day?"

The new warrior let out a _mmrowr_ of laughter. "Maybe she just wanted to move to the medicine den to escape your snoring."

Spottedpaw let out a gasp of mock outrage. "I do not!"

The three cats were interupted in their laughter when Dustpelt padded over. "If you three hadn't noticed, the meeting is over." The tabby mewed drily. "Spottedpaw, I need you to get new bedding for the nursery and the elder's den."

The small she-cat let out a groan. "Alright, fine." She padded towards the medicine den, where she knew Cinderpelt kept fresh moss.

When she got there, the medicine cat was showing Cottonpaw some leaves. She meowed, "These are good for bellyache. Speckletail has been complaining about her stomach earlier, so I'll show you how to prepare it."

Both cats looked up as Spottedpaw entered the den. Cinderpelt mewed warmly, "Hello Spottedpaw. What can we do for you?"

Spottedpaw sighed. "I need moss for the elder's den and nursery."

Cinderpelt dipped her head, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'll go get some." She padded to the back of the den and scooped up some moss. She carried it over to the apprentice. "I have more, if you need it."

Spottedpaw nodded. "I will." She grasped the moss in her jaws and left the medicine den.

On her way to the elders' den, Spottedpaw saw her father still sitting in front of the High Rock. His gaze, strangely intense, was fixed on a puddle a few mouselengths away. The Clan leader let out a low murmur. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Brightheart's kits were playing nearby. Dawnkit leaped onto Flowerkit, and the two kits tumbled gleefully into the puddle. As they disturbed the water's surface, Firestar jerked his head back, his gaze becoming focused once more. He looked around sheepishly as if he were embarrassed to be seen talking to a puddle. Spottedpaw looked away, trying to look as if she hadn't been watching. As she padded away towards the elder's den, the apprentice wondered, _What was that all about?_


	7. What Measure is a Traitor?

The day after Streampaw's third Gathering, the blue-gray apprentice was hunting near the Great Sychamore. Swiftblaze had sent her on her second solo hunt and she was determined to catch plenty of prey.

She spotted a huge hare sniffing at the ground a few paces away. She crouched down and began to stalk over to it. She accidentally stepped on a twig. The hare looked up, startled. It turned and bolted. With a snarl of frustration, Streampaw followed it, determined to catch it.

She admitted defeat after a few minutes. The hare bounded away, unaware that its pursuer had halted. As Streampaw stood panting, she slowly realized where she was. The hare had led her straight to the Thunderpath, where ThunderClan and ShadowClan territory met.

She was about to get back to her hunting when she heard a snarl. She turned to see a ShadowClan apprentice glaring at her from over the border. From the looks of him, he was a few moons younger than Streampaw, and he looked terrified. "Wh-what are you doing so close to ShadowClan territory?" He demanded fearfully.

Streampaw sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws calmly. "I was hunting nearby and got caught up in chasing a hare." She mewed in a friendly tone. "What are you doing so far out into your territory alone? You look pretty young to be without your mentor."

The apprentice seemed baffled by her friendly manner. He mewed hesitently, "Blackstar sent me on a solo hunt."

Streampaw pricked her ears. "You're Blackstar's apprentice?" As the apprentice nodded, she mewed, "Congradulations. I'm Streampaw, Swiftblaze's apprentice."

The young ShadowClan cat began to look more at ease. "I'm Smokepaw."

Streampaw tipped her head in question. "I thought Smokepaw was a large black tom, Oakfur's apprentice."

Smokepaw sat down slowly, uncertainly. "There's two of us." He seemed downcast. "I've only been training a half-moon, and Blackstar sent me on my first solo hunt. My mom's expecting so much, especially since my brother died."

Streampaw let out a mew of sympathy. "Have you caught anything yet?"

Smokepaw shook his head, his fur fluffed out anxiously. "Not so much as a lizard. Blackstar's gonna kill me." He looked totally dejected.

The ThunderClan apprentice looked at the younger tom thoughtfully. He was far too young to be expected to perform well in a solo hunt, and yet his Clanmates were expecting him to bring prey back.

Streampaw got to her paws. "Listen, I want to help. I'll give you something I caught earlier, and you can take it back to your camp."

The smoky gray tom looked astounded. "Really? You'd do that?"

Streampaw nodded. "Wait here." She bounded away towards the Great Sycamore. She sniffed around, finally finding the spot where she burried her prey. The apprentice dug up a somewhat dusty thrush she had caught earlier.

Streampaw grasped the thrush in her jaws and turned back towards the Thunderpath. Smokepaw was still there, waiting on the other side. His eyes widened as he saw her coming. "I didn't think you would actually come back."

Streampaw bounded quickly across the Thunderpath, dropping the thrush by Smokepaw's paws. "I said I would, didn't I?" She pushed the thrush closer with her paw. "Rub it against the border to make it smell like ShadowClan."

Smokepaw let out a grateful purr, his fur beginning to lay flat. "I don't know how to thank you."

The blue-gray she-cat mewed, "No problem. See you at the next Gathering." She watched as the ShadowClan apprentice picked up the thrush away, then she hurried over to her side of the Thunderpath.

Streampaw was about to make her way back to the camp when a scornful voice sounded. "Well done, Streampaw. Your great kittypet father will be so proud."

She turned to see Sandstorm slink out of the shadows, her green eyes glittering with sadistic glee. "You're in trouble now, halfClan." She hissed.

Streampaw looked at the ginger queen, baffled. "What are you talking about?"

Sandstorm's eyes flashed with fierce joy. "I saw you! Giving away our prey to that ShadowClan scum! Like father, like daughter! Filth!" She turned towards the camp, calling out over her shoulder, "Follow me!"

Streampaw followed the warrior back to camp, her mind whirling. What was Sandstorm talking about? All she'd done was help a fellow apprentice. Sure, he was from another Clan, but what difference did that make?

Sandstorm led the apprentice into the camp, smirking cruelly the whole time. She stood in front of the High Rock and yowled, "Let all cats gather to hear what I have witnessed."

Cats began to filter out of their dens, looking warily at the warrior who had summoned them. Willowpelt called out, "What are you doing Sandstorm? It isn't your place to call Clan meetings."

Firestar padded out of his den, his expression unreadable. "I was just going to ask the same thing."

Sandstorm turned to face him, smirking. "Are you saying you are forbidding your warriors from speaking freely?" She asked smugly.

The flame-colored tom stared cooly at Sandstorm for a long moment. Finally, he dipped his head. "Very well. This better be good."

The pale ginger warrior lashed her tail once, her smirk widening. "Oh, it is." She turned to face the Clan. "You see, I have witnessed betrayal from one of our Clanmates." She glanced back at the leader eagerly, trying to see his reaction. "Firestar's precious daughter Streampaw has broken the warrior code!"

Cries of disbelief rippled through the crowd. Sandstorm continued triumphantly. "I saw her speaking to a ShadowClan apprentice. First she spoke with him like a friend, then she took prey from _our_ territory, and gave it to him freely! She stole prey that is rightfully ours and gave it to that ShadowClan scum! She must be punished!"

Firestar closed his eyes, his expression pained. He opened them again after a long moment, looking straight at his daughter. "Streampaw, is this true?" He asked calmly.

Streampaw looked around nervously, concious of all the gazes fixed on her. "Well, yes. The poor apprentice was only a half-moon into training, and his mentor sent him out on a solo hunt. He was scared to come back empty-pawed."

Shock flashed in Firestar's eyes, soon fading to disapoint and maybe a hint of understanding. The Clan fell silent, shocked by Streampaw's admission. Swiftblaze padded out of the crowd. "Streampaw, why did you do this?"

The apprentice fluffed up her fur nervously. "He was so nervous. I had to help him. I would have done the same for any of my Clanmates. Why not him?"

Firestar's voice sounded behind her. "Because he's not your Clanmate." She turned to face him, surprised by the disapointment in his eyes. "Loyalty to your Clan comes before anything else. That prey should have been given to our elders, not a cat from another Clan."

Swiftblaze looked reproachfully at his apprentice. "Streampaw, have you and this ShadowClan apprentice... met before?"

Streampaw had to think for a moment before realizing what he was suggesting. "Of course not. I would have told some cat if I had a mate, wouldn't I?"

One-eye's voice came from the crowd. "Is this true, Sandstorm?"

The ginger queen looked disgruntled as she relunctantly admitted, "They introduced themselves as if they hadn't met before, and Streampaw didn't know that I was watching."

Swiftblaze dipped his head, accepting Sandstorm's answer. The Clan's stunned and distrustful glances burned into Streampaw's fur. What was wrong with what she had done? She'd helped a fellow apprentice.

Ashfur spoke up. "Streampaw is a loyal apprentice. Why are we questioning her now?" Streampaw threw him a grateful glance.

Firestar was silent for several long moments. Finally, he spoke. "Steeampaw, you must never do this again. The prey in this territory belongs to this Clan, and no other. The warrior code permits you to have friends in other Clans, but when it comes to prey and territory, you must fight to defend it, not give it away. As punishement, you are confined to the camp for the next ten days. You will care for the queens and elders and learn the meaning of Clan loyalty."

Streampaw was horrified. Ten days stuck in camp? Over a friendly chat between two apprentices? She dipped her head with a resigned sigh. "Yes Firestar."

As the meeting dispersed, Streampaw felt dread wash through her. Was there no one who understood what she had done?


	8. Young Romance

Streampaw was alone in the warrior's den the next day, clearing out the old bedding. She still had to check the elders for ticks and clear out the other dens, and she was not looking forward to it.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. "Care for some help?"

Streampaw turned to see Ashfur standing behind her. She flattened her ears self-conciously. "Ashfur! Sure, I'd love help." She ducked her head, embarrased. The tom had been her friend as long as she could remember, but in recent moons she'd begun to find herself craving his company when he wasn't around.

When he was there, she grew shy and nervous, desperate to impress him but unsure how. She could feel herself falling for him, and it scared her. She didn't know how to be in love, or how to talk to someone who meant more to her than anything in the world.

Ashfur padded up to stand beside her, his pelt brushing against hers as he helped her scoop the old bedding into a pile. The tom mewed, "I'll get rid of the old stuff, and you can put down some new moss."

Streampaw nodded gratefully. "Thanks." She murmured shyly.

As Ashfur padded out of the den, Streampaw let out a sigh of relief. She really didn't know how to talk to him anymore. She was so afraid of letting slip some hint of how much she cared for him, and of him rejecting her in response.

Ashfur padded back into the den. "How's training going?" he asked kindly, seeming to notice her anxiety.

Streampaw shifted her gaze to her paws, unable to look him in the eyes. "Good. Swiftblaze is a great mentor. I can't wait to get back out in the forest."

Ashfur let out a sympathetic meow. "Ten days in camp is pretty harsh. At least you'll be back out soon." He flexed his claws, stretching out his front legs. "We need you out there. No one can catch birds and squirrels like you can. You're a great hunter."

Streampaw smiled softly, his praise filling her up with joy. "Thanks."

The two worked together until sunhigh. After they finished clearing out Firestar's den, Ashfur mewed appologetically, "I told Longtail that I'd go on a border patrol with him and Sootpaw." He shook some moss out of his pelt. "I'll help you more tommorow if you want."

Streampaw looked up from the moss she'd been gathering, surprised. "Shouldn't you be out hunting though? I mean, this is my punishement. You don't have to stay."

Ashfur let out a short purr. "I know, but I want to help." He hesitated before adding, "I agree about the apprentice you helped, by the way. It was a bit extreme to give our prey away, but we should be willing to help other cats, even if they're not in our Clan."

Streampaw flattened her ears in surprise. "R-r-really?" She looked down quickly. "Thanks. I mean it."

The warrior let out a deep purr. "No problem, Streampaw." He turned and padded away through the gorse entrance.

A voice sounded behind Streampaw. "Looks like someone's in love." The apprentice turned to see One-eye sitting by the entrance of the elders' den, a knowing gleam in her sightless eyes.

Streampaw dipped her head, both with respect and embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about." She murmured.

One-eye let out a hoarse purr of amusement. "I may not be able to see past my own nose, but I don't need eyesight to see that you've fallen for Ashfur." She began to wash her paw, drawing it calmly over her ears. "I remember when I first met Halftail. He was called Sparrowpaw back then. We started training together, and we became mates after becoming warriors. We had two beautiful kits, Runningwind and Mousefur."

She paused, sadness glowing in her eyes. "Streampaw, I lost my family long ago. There is nothing left for me here. I am waiting now for the day when StarClan calls on me to join them, so I can once more be with those I love. But at least I _had_ love in my life. I didn't let fear of loss stop me from enjoying love. You shouldn't either. I know you're afraid that Ashfur won't love you back, or that you'll lose him some other way. But you cannot let that fear define you, or you will miss the greatest chance in your life."

As One-eye padded back into the elders' den, Streampaw sat in silence, thinking about what the elder had told her. _She's right. I have to tell Ashfur. But how? I'm too scared to even talk to him!_ With a sigh, she stood, making her way towards the nursery.

Seven days into her punishement, Streampaw finally worked up the nerve to talk to him. Ashfur had helped her through her punishement every day, taking what time he could between hunting and border patrols.

The two cats were spreading clean moss in the apprentice's den when Streampaw spoke up. "Ashfur, I need to talk to you."

The tom looked up, his piercing blue gaze boring into her. "Sure. What is it?" He seemed a little puzzled by her serious tone.

Streampaw gulped, suddenly more nervous than she could say. What if he said no? The apprentice took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. "I don't really know how to put this. You're my best friend. I really can't thank you enough for all your help with this. You're a great cat, Ashfur, and I wish... I mean, I want more, but I don't know how..."

Ashfur seemed to understand what she was trying to say. He leaned forward, rubbing his muzzle against her cheek, a purr rumbling deep in his throat. Streampaw let out a little mew of relief. She closed her eyes and murmured, "I love you, Ashfur."

Ashfur pulled back, his dark blue eyes glowing with a love deeper than anything she could have imagined. "I love you too, Streampaw." The two touched noses for a long moment, basking in this new, shared feeling.

Streampaw pulled back and gave her chest a few self-concious licks. "I know I'm just an apprentice, but..."

Ashfur shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Just because you're an apprentice doesn't mean you can't be in love." He gave her ear an affectionate lick. "You'll be a warrior soon anyway."

Streampaw let out a purr, weak at first but steadily growing stronger. "Thank you." She mewed.

Ashfur looked surprised. "For what?"

The apprentice replied simply, "For saying yes." The two sat together for a long time, just content to be in each other's company.


	9. All Lives End

Seven days into Streampaw's punishement, Rustypaw waited to be assigned to a patrol. Graystripe stood in front of a group of warriors, assigning the day's border and hunting patrols.

The deputy called out, "Willowpelt, can you take Thornpelt, Ashfur, and Rainpaw out on a border patrol around Twolegplace and the ShadowClan border?"

Willowpelt spoke up. "Sorry Graystripe, but I promised Harepaw I'd take him battle training."

Graystripe dipped his head to his mother. "Very well. Rustypaw and I awill go then." He assigned the rest of ithe patrols, then made his way over to Rustypaw and the rest of the patrol. "Let's get going."

Graystripe led the patrol out into the forest. Rustypaw followed the patrol, his tail twitching with anxiety. His father, Firestar, had been acting strange lately. Last night, the leader had stayed away from camp overnight.

Suddenly, the ginger leader came padding out of the bushes, his fur slightly ruffled. He smelled strangely of twolegs; Rustypaw wondered if he'd been in twolegplace.

Thornpelt padded up to the flame-colored tom. "Hi Firestar. Everything okay?"

Firestar nodded briskly. "Yes - everything's fine."

Sootpaw spoke up. "We're the border patrol."

Firestar looked at the two apprentices with pride. "I'll join you on patrol, and Sootpaw and Rustypaw, you can show me your tracking skills."

The two apprentices exchanged excited glances. They helped lead the patrol along the Thunderpath. Rustypaw felt a rush of pride when Firestar praised his tracking skills.

Suddenly, Sootpaw veered away from the Thunderpath. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Thornpelt called.

The black apprentice looked back with a mix of apprehension and excitement in his eyes. "I found a really weird scent."

Rustypaw sniffed the air. A foul, musky scent greeted him, barely detectable under the stench of the Thunderpath. "I can smell it too."

Firestar looked interested. "What sort of weird?"

"Strong. I've never smelled it before." Sootpaw explained.

Firestar ordered the apprentices to follow the smell. Once they led the patrol away from the Thunderpath, the ginger leader halted, his eyes widening. "Badger!" He growled.

Graystripe rolled his eyes. "Wonderful."

Thornpelt snorted. "Just what we need."  
Sootpaw and Rustypaw exchanged fearful glances. Rustypaw remembered all the horrible nursery tales he'd heard about badgers, of the prey they had ravaged and patrols they had attacked.

Sootpaw asked nervously, "Are badgers bad?"

"Pretty bad." Ashfur said, his fur fluffing out nervously.

Graystripe put in, "They're a nuisance at best, dangerous at worst. We need to drive it off."

Firestar looked thoughtful. "The scent's fresh. We'll have to follow it to find out where the badger is and whether it's going to make a den here." He looked down at the apprentices. "Well done Sootpaw. That was a useful bit of tracking."

Thornpelt led the patrol now, following the trail with a look of worried concentration. The rest of the cats followed, Graystripe and Firestar walking side by side at the rear, speaking in hushed tones. Rustypaw walked beside his denmate with slightly ruffled fur. What would happen when they met the badger? Would they have to fight it? He flexed his claws. If it came to a fight, he would do his best.

The trail led the patrol to Snakerocks. The other warriors began to search for the badger alone. Thornpelt turned to the two apprentices. "Stay here. Don't move, but give a good yowl if you see anything dangerous."

The two apprentices watched as the warriors searched for the badger. Suddenly, Sootpaw stiffened beside him. Rustypaw turned to see what he was looking at and froze in terror. A huge black-and-white creature was careening towards them, its yellow fangs glistening as it snarled at them.

Rustypaw scrambled out of the way, running away from the terrifying creature as fast as he could. When he looked back, however, he saw that Sootpaw was frozen in fear. Rustypaw turned back despite his terror, ready to push his Clanmate out of harm's way.

Graystripe got there first. The long-haired gray tom dove from the top of a nearby rock, leaping between the badger and the cowering apprentice. The badger landed clumsily on the deputy. Graystripe let out a shriek of pain that was soon cut short.

Firestar leaped at the badger with a furious yowl. His claws sliced mercilessly through the badger's pelt, his eyes blazing with pure hatred for the badger who had killed his best friend.

The other warriors fell on the badger furiously. Rustypaw leaped at the badger's flank, fury blotting out his previous fear.

The badger panicked when it realized it was outnumbered. It shook the cats off desperatly, sending Ashfur flying off. The gray warrior lay winded. The badger let out a bellow of fear, then began to lumber away, it's berry black eyes alight with fear. Ashfur and Thornpelt began to chase it off, but Firestar called out in a hoarse voice, "Come back. Let it go."

Firestar padded over to where Graystripe's body lay motionless. He looked down at the body of his best friend, his green eyes wide with horror. "Graystripe?" He asked in a small voice.

Rustypaw felt a rush of guilt. His mentor was dead because he hadn't helped his Clanmate in time. He padded over to his father's side, joining him in his grief for a great mentor and deputy.

The trip back was a blur. He remembered stumbling through the undergrowth at the back of the patrol, trying not to look any cay in the eye. Graystripe had been like a second father to all of Firestar's kits. Losing him felt like losing a parent.

When they got back to the camp, they were greeted with horror and grief. The elders arranged Graystripe's body in the center of the camp. The Clanmates who had once called him traitor now gathered mournfully around his body, grieving for the cat who had been much loved by his Clanmates.

As the moon began to rise into the sky, Firestar reluctantly left the body and climbed up onto the High Rock. He looked down mournfully at the Clan, his forest green eyes dull with grief. "Graystripe was a great deputy, and my closet friend. He helped me through the treachery of Tigerstar, and the battle with BloodClan. Even when he joined RiverClan out of grief, I never doubted his loyalty to me and to his Clanmates. Losing him is like losing a brother."

The Clan murmured in agreement. Dappletail called out in a raspy tone, "Now he can walk forever with his RiverClan mate."

Firestar nodded. "Thank you Dappletail." He attempted to stand a little taller. "It is now my duty, far too soon, to name the new deputy. I say these words before the body of Graystripe, so he may hear and approve my choice." He paused before continuing, "Willowpelt will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

The pale gray queen padded forward, the grief on her face mixed in surprise. She turned to face her Clanmates. "Warriors of ThunderClan, Graystripe was my son, and Whitestorm was my mate. I would give anything for them to still be here. But if it is my destiny to take over their place as deputy, I will do so, to honor their memories, until it is my time to walk with StarClan."

The warriors of ThunderClan began to cheer their new deputy's name. "Willowpelt! Willowpelt! Willowpelt!"

Firestar waved his tail for silence. "Graystripe was also mentor to young Rustypaw. There must be no delay in the training of our apprentices. Sandstorm, you are a strong warrior and loyal. I trust you will pass on all that Whitestorm taught you to this young apprentice."

Sandstorm stepped out of the crowd, his green eyes furious but her ears flattened in defeat. She could not challenge Firestar's desicion. Rustypaw reluctantly touched noses with the ginger queen, dread rushing through him. What future waited for him, with this hateful queen as his mentor?


	10. A Quest Begins

After the last day of Streampaw's punishement, Firestar and Mistyfoot stood on the Highrock, looking down at the Clan. They were preparing to leave, to help the strangers that StarClan had told them about.

Willowpelt sat next to Longtail by the base of the Highrock, looking at the rest of the warriors. Since she was new at being deputy, Willowpelt and Longtail would be working together when Firestar left at running the Clans.

The crowd was murmuring worriedly. No cat wanted Firestar to leave. The elders whispered fiercely, their accusing glances fixed on Firestar.

The leader stood proudly on the Highrock. "Cats of ThunderClan, it's time for us to leave-"

"Why?" Swiftblaze demanded, his eyes narrowed irritably. "You're _ThunderClan's_ leader. What gives you the right to go galavanting on some StarCaln-forsaken quest?"

Thornclaw added, "What can be more important than caring for your Clan?"

Streampaw bristled, indignant on her father's behalf. _Firestar wouldn't leave if he didn't have a good reason._ she reasoned.

Firestar cleared his throat. "I understand your concerns. But ThunderClan has a deputy. I trust her and Longtail to look after the Clan just as well as I do. And you have Cinderpelt and Cottonpaw to take care of any injuries and interpret the signs of StarClan. No Clan could have better medicine cats."

Cinderpelt bowed her head. Cottonpaw followed suit, but not before Streampaw saw the gleam of pride and excitement in her eyes. Willowpelt and Longtail looked out proudly into the crowd.

Brightgaze spoke up. "Firestar wouldn't leave unless he had to." She stood so everyone could hear her. "If StarClan has told him he must go, then we must trust our warrior ancestors to take care of him and bring him back safely. They have never let us down before - why would they take our leader from us now if it wasn't the right thing to do?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. As Firestar and Mistyfoot stepped began to walk through the crowd, the warriors of ThunderClan called out their goodbyes.

Streampaw pushed her way through the crowd, finally making it to her parents. "Let me come with you." She begged. "Please, I want to help." The desire to embark on this strange quest burned in her heart.

Panic flashed in Firestar's eyes, but was gone as soon as it came. "No. It's too dangerous, Streampaw." Before she could protest again, her parents had padded away through the gorse tunnel. Streampaw stood looking at the place where they disappeared, her tail twitching irritably.

She would not be dettered so easily. She bided her time, waiting until everyone's attention was elsewhere. When Longtail was handing out the day's patrols, Streampaw slipped out of the camp through dirtplace.

The apprentice began to follow her parents' scent trail. She hadn't made it as far as the training hollow when a voice sounded behind her. "You're following your parents, aren't you?"

Streampaw whirled around. "Ashfur!" The gray tom stood behind her, sadness gleaming in his dark blue eyes.

He spoke in a resigned tone. "Why do you have to go?"

Streampaw sat, her tail curling arou d her paws. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving Ashfur behind, but it couldn't be helped. "I keep messing up, Ashfur. I'm trying to learn the warrior code, but every cat thinks I'm too soft on the other Clans. Maybe some time away will help."

She didn't voice her other reason. Streampaw could still remember the disappointment and distrust in her Clanmates' faces after she'd helped Smokepaw. She wanted to get away from that memory, away from their territory, away from the forest altogether.

Ashfur looked miserable. "But it's dangerous, Streampaw! What if you don't come back?"

Streampaw rubbed her muzzle against his cheek, purring softly. "I'll come back." She said simply.

The tom let out a sigh. "Go now, before a patrol finds you. I'll cover for you." They touched noses for one last moment, then pulled back. Streampaw turned and bounded away, determined not to look back.


	11. Keeping Secrets

Spottedpaw was padding towards the camp, a thrush held proudly in her jaws. The small black-and-white she-cat had just completed her first solo hunt. Hunting wasn't her strongest point, but she'd done reasonably well.

As she entered the camp she saw a worried Swiftblaze speaking to Willowpelt. Spottedpaw padded over. "What's wrong?" She asked curiously.

Swiftblaze turned to the apprentice with concern lit in his amber eyes. "Streampaw never showed up for battle practice, and I haven't seen her since this morning."

Willowpelt mewed in s calm tone, "She's probably fine Swiftblaze. You saw how upset she was when her parents left without her. Can you blame her for wanting to spend a little time away from camp?"

The black-and-white tom fretted, "Yes, but what if she decided to follow them?"

Ashfur, who was eating a thrush by the warrior's den, spoke up. "She wouldn't do that." He gulped down that last of the bird and walked over to the group. "Some of the Clan still distrusts her for giving ore to that ShadowClsn apprentice. She's probably far more concerned with regaining the Clan's respect than going on some mouse-brained quest."

Swiftblaze looked a little less worried, though concern still danced in his eyes. Spottedpaw was less convinced. Streampaw probably thought that helping her parents on this quest from StarClan would help the Clan to trust her. She opened her mouth to object, then closed it again as Ashfur shot her a warning glance. She stared at him, puzzled. What was he trying to hide?

Willowpelt dipped her head to the gray warrior. "I agree. Streampaw's rational enough to realize she's needed more here." She lifted her head. "However, if she's not back by sundown, I'll send a patrol after her."

Spottedpaw debated whether or not to ask to go look for her sister immediately, then rejected the idea. Streampaw was too hesitant, too uncertain about eve little thing. It would be good for her to have s little adventure for once in her life.

She bid the three warriors farewell and made her way over to the fresh-kill pile. Brambleclaw was there along with Sorrelpaw. The tabby tom purred, "Hey Spottedpaw! I heard you did well on your solo hunt."

Spottedpaw let out a chuckle. "Good thing, or else Dustpelt would have ripped my fur out." She joked. The stern tom had mellowed some, although he still made Spottedpaw train longer than the rest of the apprentices.

Swiftblaze came over to join them at the fresh-kill pile. "Have any of you seen Streampaw?" He asked. All three shook their heads.

Suddenly, Streampaw caught sight of Ashfur staring longingly out into the forest, his expression one of pure misery. Spottedpaw was surprised by the worry blazing in his eyes. She murmured to Sorrelpaw, "What's his problem?"

The tortoiseshell let out a purr of amusement. "He's worried about Streampaw of course." Spottedpaw looked at her blankly. Sorrelpaw mewed, "Haven't you seen those two hanging out together in camp? He's head over paws for her."

This revelation startled Spottedpaw. Her sister in love? But as she reviewed the last few moons in her head, she realized Sorrelpaw could be right. Streampaw had been acting distracted for a while, and Ashfur had helped her clean up around camp every day of her punishment.

Spottedpaw mewed briefly to Sorrelpaw, "Excuse me for a moment." She padded over to where Ashfur sat. "We need to talk. Now."

Ashfur looked nervous for a moment before relaxing. "Very well. But not here." He led the apprentice out into the forest. After reaching the sandy hollow he stopped, turning to face Spottedpaw.

The apprentice mewed shrewdly, "You helped Streampaw leave, didn't you?"

Ashfur lowered his head. "Yes." He admitted. "She wants to regain the Clan's trust and she thinkgs this is the best way to do it." In a quieter voice he added, "And I think she wants to escape from the Clanmates who can't understand her." Love shone deep in his eyes, confirming Sorrelpaw's suggestion.

The small she-cat glared at him for a moment, trying to judge his expression. "You like her don't you?" She asked bluntly. "Is that why you let her go? So you could earn the respect of a pretty she-cat?"

Ashfur looked stunned by the accusations. "Of course not! Yes I love her, but I didn't let her go just to get on her good side. I let her go because it was her choice to make, not mine, not anyone else's."

Spottedpaw stared long and hard at the tom before nodding stiffly. "Fine. But if you ever hurt my sister, I'll scatter your entrails for the crows to feast on."

The gray tom chuckled lightly. "I'll remember that." He suddenly became serious again. "You won't tell anyone, will you? I only told you because you're her sister."

The small apprentice let out a snort of disgust. "Of course not. What do you take me for?"

Ashfur relaxed. "Thank you." The two started off towards camp, each trusting in the other to keep the secret of Streampaw's departure.


	12. Time For Some Thrilling Heroics

Streampaw followed her parents' scent into RiverClan territory. She hesitated a little before crossing the border but pushed on determinedly. As she ventured deeper into RiverClan's territory the forest scents faded away to be replaced by the milder scents of reeds and water.

She looked up nervously at the sky. She was so used to having trees blocking out the sky that having it presented so clear and vast to her was unnerving. The apprentice felt vulnerable with so little cover.

_This is where my mother grew up._ Streampaw thought as she passed through RiverClan's territory. _I would have grown up here too if Mistyfoot had decided to stay._ Yet she couldn't imagine growing up in such an exposed environment. Only the river itself appealed to her.

Once she crossed the border into WindClan's territory, she sped up her pace a bit. She didn't want to be seen by her parents until she was a sufficient distance from ThunderClan territory, but worse was the possibility of being caught by a WindClan patrol. She didn't want to get in more trouble for trespassing.

Streampaw felt relief run through her as she crossed over WindClan's border. She'd now left Clan territory completely behind. Who knew what lands there were beyond her now?

It was beginning to get dark, so Streampaw decided to hunt. She found a farm that had a large cornfield, where mice were abundant. It wasn't long before two of the creatures had fallen under her claws. The gray-blue apprentice gulped them down ravenously. She hadn't eaten since the night before.

Streampaw eventually found her way back to her parents' scent trail. The scent was very fresh now; they couldn't be more than a few minutes' distance away from her now. She decided to sleep where she was and confront her parents in the morning.

Streampaw awoke early the next morning. She got to her paws, stretching out her limbs with a jaw-splitting yawn. She was about to start off again when she heard barking. The apprentice relaxed when she realized that it was far away before realizing with a dreadful start that it was coming from where her parents were.

Streampaw took off racing towards the noise, her heart pounding with fear. It was still fairly early; what if Mistyfoot and Firestar were still asleep and got caught unawares by the dog? She had to help them, even if it meant revealing herself too soon.

Streampaw came hurtling into the clearing in time to see a large brown-and-white dog scratching desperatly at a large, thorny bush. Streampaw spotted a blue-gray tail tip poking from the bush and heard a fierce hiss issue from its thorny depths. Streampaw felt a jolt of panic. _Mistyfoot!_

The blue-gray apprentice launched herself at the dig, running her claws over its shoulder. "Leave them alone!" She shrieked.

The dog turned to face Streampaw, a look of surprise on its ugly face. Streampaw thought she heard Firestar call her name, but she ignored him. She stood before the dog, arching her back as high as it would go and hissing fiercely, "Come and get me you great brute!" She darted away, her tail whisking against the dog's nose as she passed him.

The mutt bolted after her, barking excitedly. Streampaw streaked across the grassy ground, her belly low to the ground, her tail streamlining behind her. She threw a few taunting yowls over her shoulder as she ran. Her heart was pounding with terror, but she forced herself to keep running, making the occasional sharp turn to keep the dog from catching up.

She was about to start thinking about a way to lose the dog when she heard a twoleg voice calling out. The dog halted, looking back in that direction and letting out a soft bark. The voice called out again. The dog gave Streampaw a last longing glance before trotting off in the twolegs' direction.

Streampaw let out a weak sigh of relief. Her legs were shaky; she stumbled forward several paces before getting her footing back. She couldn't believe she'd managed to help save her parents from a dog. She'd never fought something like that before. A tired confidence glowed in her heart.

She made her way slowly back to the bush where her parents had hidden. She called out quietly, "Firestar? Mistyfoot?"

The two cats came out of the bush. Mistyfoot bounded up to Streampaw's side, covering her daughter's face with frantic licks. "Great StarClan, Streampaw! Are you okay? How did you get here?" Streampaw made no attempt to answer her mother's flurry of question. She just closed her eyes and let herself relax. Her parents were okay.

Firestar's voice broke through her thoughts. "Well? Your mother asked you a question." She looked at her father, startled by his sharp tone. His green eyes were narrowed and his tail twitching darkly. "How did you get here?"

Streampaw's confidence shrank away at the sight of her father's anger. She'd never seen him thus angry before. The apprentice stammered, "W-well, I-I followed you. I-I wanted to see the territory beyond the forest, and impress the Clan." Even as she spoke she realized how weak her words seemed.

Firestar demanded in a fierce tone, "You realize that you could have died just now? That dog could have torn you apart! What in the name of StarClan gave you the idea-"

Mistyfoot cut him off. "Firestar! She just saved our lives." The former RiverClan queen stood firmly by her daughter, her voice calm. "I think we should let her come. It's too dangerous to make her walk back alone when we're this far away, and we can't spare enough time to take her back."

Firestar growled, "We'll make time."

Mistyfoot said in a gentler tone, "Firestar." The ginger tom took his gaze off his daughter to look at his mate, and for a moment his expression faded from anger to panic. Streampaw felt a pang of guilt. Her father's best friend had died in front of him mere days ago. Of course Streampaw's arrival on the dangerous quest would send him into a state of panic.

Mistyfoot mewed in a soft voice, "Streampaw's a strong cat. She just saved us from a dog. I know you're worried about her, but she's old enough to be here. I think you should let her stay."

Firestar looked from mate to daughter with fearful eyes, finally lowering his head. "Very well." He said quietly. "She can stay."


	13. Always That One Teacher

"Try it again!"

Rustypaw got slowly to his paws, his breaths ragged, his legs shaking with exhaustion. Sandstorm stood across the Sandy Hollow from him, her green eyes flashing with contempt. "Pitiful." She growled. "But what else should I expect from a kittypet?"

Rustypaw gritted his teeth, fighting back the angry words he longed to speak. Sandstorm had no sympathy when it came to training. She made Rustypaw work harder than any other apprentice. Even after his sister Streampaw went missing yesterday, she wouldn't let him join the search patrol. "A _Clanborn_cat knows that you must put the Clan above family." She'd replied bluntly to Rustypaw's request.

The tabby swished his tail irritable. The she-cat was nothing but rude, embittered by Firestar's rejection of her. That did not excuse her current behavior. It was at times like this when Rustypaw missed Graystripe most. The fun-loving deputy was a far better mentor and friend than this bitter queen.

Rustypaw mewed with shaky anger, "I just need a second to rest." He tried to ignore the aching in his muscles and the sting of where Sandstorm's claws had scraped him accidentally. He forced himself to meet Sandstorm's scornful glare with a strong, unwavering gaze. _I won't let you bully me just because you're my mentor._

Sandstorm just rolled her eyes, her lips curled in a sneer. "Typical kittypet. Can't lift a claw without getting tired. You're as weak as your father." Rustypaw opened his mouth to retort but Sandstorm cut him off. "Actually, Longtail told me that he needs you for the sunhigh patrol. Go now."

Rustypaw looked up at the sky, letting out a faint hiss. It was already past sunhigh. He gave Sandstorm a curt nod before racing off towards the camp. When he arrived he found the patrol standing near the entrance. Dustpelt and Spottedpaw were there, along with Ferncloud and Longtail.

Longtail padded over to Rustypaw. "Glad you made it." He said drily.

Rustypaw dipped his head. Longtail was acting as deputy to Willowpelt's leader, organizing patrols and overlooking apprentices' training. "Sorry Longtail. Sandstorm just told me about the patrol."

Longtail's irritated expression softened. "That's alright." He mewed gruffly. "I figured you'd appreciate some time away from training with Sandstorm." He turned away. "Come on." He said to the patrol. "We've lost enough time as it is."

Longtail led the patrol along the ShadowClan border. Everything was quiet. Rustypaw looked sadly across the border into ShadowClan's swampy lands. Was that where his sister had gone? Ashfur had led the search party for Streampaw, and he'd followed the scent towards ShadowClan's border, even after the rest of the patrol had lost the scent. The gray warrior had suggested that maybe Streampaw had gone to visit her apprentice friend in ShadowClan.

When they reached the RiverClan border, they found that there was already a RiverClan patrol there. Stonefur was there, along with Stormfur and a few other warriors Rustypaw didn't recognize.

Longtail dipped his head to the deputy. "Greetings Stonefur. How are things in RiverClan?" He asked politely.

In a warmer tone, Ferncloud asked, "How are your kits?"

About three moons ago, Shadepelt had given birth to two toms; a blue-gray tabby named Oakkit and a dark gray tom named Graykit. Stonefur replied in a curt tone, "They're fine." With a pointed glare at Longtail he added, "They'd be better if we didn't have ThunderClan cats intruding on our territory."

_ThunderClan cats intruding..._ Rustypaw realized who he might mean. "Was it Streampaw?" He burst out. "Have you seen her?" Immediately, he clamped his jaws shut. How could he reveal his Clan's weaknesses like that? But if it helped them find Streampaw, it would be worth it.

Stonefur looked surprised by Rustypaw's outburst, but soon relaxed. "Yes." He admitted. "I scented Firestar and Mistyfoot as well." After casting a side glance at his Clanmates, he asked in a softer voice, "Have they gone missing?"

Longtail gave Rustypaw a quick glare before answering reluctantly, "Firestar and Mistyfoot left on a mission from StarClan. Streampaw went missing the same day. We thought she might have gone after them. Now I see that we were right."

Stonefur looked surprised at the mention of the mission from StarClan, but was tactful enough not to say anything. "I'm sure she's fine. Mistyfoot'll look out for her." He backed up to stand with his Clanmates. "I'll see you at the next Gathering." With that, he led the RiverClan patrol back into their own territory.

Rustypaw stared after the patrol, his thoughts a whirl. So Streampaw had followed their parents after all? He let out a soft sigh. At least she had Mistyfoot and Firestar to look after her now. It was too late to go after her now. She was too far away. All they could do now was trust that StarClan would watch after her and bring her back home.


	14. Running

A sparrow's cry was cut short as Spottedpaw landed square on it's back, snapping it's spine. The tiny apprentice picked up the bird in her jaws and padded over to the roots of a tree. She buried the prey beneath the roots and covered it again, taking care to burry it deep. The last thing she needed on her first solo hunt was for some badger to come blundering along and stealing her prey.

Since her training with Dustpelt mostly consisted on battle training, her hunting hadn't progressed quite has passed. Most apprentices had their first solo hunt before their fourth moon of training. _But then,_ Spottedpaw reflected with an amused twitch of her whiskers, _most apprentices can't beat two warriors twice her size in battle._ The memory of her most recent double-warrior training session with Dustpelt and Longtail made her smile. Sure, she'd come out with a sore hip and a scraped cheek, but Dustpelt had wrenched his shoulder, and Longtail had seemed a little stiff in the neck afterwards. The idea that the temporary deputy had seen her skills in battle was a source of pride for the apprentice.

Suddenly, she caught a new scent. The she-cat narrowed her eyes as she realized it was an unfamiliar cat, not carrying the scent of any Clan. _An intruder!_ She let out an angry hiss. The apprentice lowered herself to the ground and slunk silently towards the scent.

She finally found the source of the scent. A lanky black tom was crouching over a mouse, taking huge bites and wolfing them down quickly. Spottedpaw snarled softly at the sight of it. _That's a _ThunderClan _mouse mangebreath!_ But she held back from attacking. The rouge's ribs were clearly visible; the cat was starving. It'd be better to just give him a warning to get out.

The small she-cat stepped out of the bushes, padding up to the rouge with her fur fluffed up. "This is ThunderClan territory. You better get out of here before a patrol comes our way." She hissed warningly.

The black tom looked at her in surprise, then let out a sharp wheeze of laughter. "What's it to you, kit? I think I'll finish this mouse, then maybe I'll teach you a lesson about manners." When he saw that she wasn't backing down, he crouched protectively over his prey, his voice lowering dangerously. "Beat it kit, before I make you my next meal. Where I come from a little scrap like you would be killed for insolence."

Spottedpaw figured she'd given him warning enough. With a screech she launched herself at the tom, hooking her claws into his shoulder and pulling him sharply down to the ground. The tom let out a shocked yowl, before rolling to his paws, facing the apprentice furiously. She launched herself at him again, meeting his waiting fangs and claws with a hiss of relish.

The apprentice slithered under the tom, knocking his front legs from under him. He tried to fall on her, but she was already gone, sinking her fangs into his leg. He hissed in pain and swiped at her shoulder, throwing her slightly off balance. He got to his paws immediately, lunging at her before she had a chance to get to her paws. The little cat rolled out of the way, bounding to her paws. Spottedpaw paused for a moment, reflecting. _This cat fights like he's had training,_ she thought, panting slightly. Then she shook her head to clear it. _But I'm better!_ With a hair-raising shriek she launched herself at him again.

The two cats battled, Spottedpaw lunging in and out, driving the tom to confusion. Finally, he gave a wail of pain and turned tail, fleeing as fast as his wounds would let him. Spottedpaw stood panting, wounded but proud. _I drove off a rouge on my own._ Aloud, she yowled, "And don't come back!"

Suddenly, a mew sounded behind her. "Nice fight, little one." She turned to see Dustpelt standing behind her, a gruffly impressed look on his face. Spottedpaw was surprised when she realized how long the tom must have been standing there without interfering, then she relaxed. He obviously knew she could handle herself.

The warrior turned and flicked his tail for her to follow. "Come on. Grab your prey and let's get back to camp." Spottedpaw followed him eagerly, digging up her sparrow and a shrew she had caught beforehand on the way.

At camp, Willowpelt was sitting by the fresh-kill pile, in deep conversation with Longtail. Harepaw abd Gingerpaw were sharing a thrush by the apprentices' den, and Dawnkit and Flowerkit were sparring by the nursery.

Dustpelt led Spottedpaw over to Willowpelt and Longtail, who stopped their conversation when they saw them approaching. The brown tabby nudged his apprentice forward. "Go on." He said gruffly. "Tell them what happened."

With a burst of pride, Spottedpaw related the incident with the rouge to her deputy and temporary deputy. Longtail seemed pleased, but Willowpelt looked worried. "Was he wearing a collar, Spottedpaw?" She asked quietly. "Did he mention Scourge?"

Spottedpaw gaped at the deputy. "Scourge? You think that cat was from BloodClan?" The she-cat had only been a kit when the ferocious alley cats attacked the forest, but she and her littermates had heard more about that battle than any other. It was Clan legend. _How cool would it be if he really _was _from BloodClan?!_ "Well, he didn't have a collar, but he did say something about me being killed for my big mouth back where he came from. Oh, and he fought like someone who'd been trained to."

Willowpelt and Longtail exchanged a worried glance. The gray she-cat sighed. "It could very well be BloodClan." To her temporary deputy, she ordered, "Get some of the patrols to do a sweep of the Twolegplace border. The last thing we need is another BloodClan attack." She turned back to the apprentice. "Head over to the medicine den."

Spottedpaw opened her mouth to argue, but Dustpelt gave her a sharp nudge and she fell silent. Her wounds were starting to hurt anyway. She let her mentor lead her to the medicine den.

Inside, Cottonpaw sat in the center, sorting some herbs into a pile. Cloudtail lay near her paws, letting out a slight wheeze. Dustpelt gave him an amused glance. "Swallow too much moss in your sleep, Cloudtail?" He asked jokingly. "You were snoring loud enough last night." The fluffy white tom glared at him.

Cottonpaw looked up at the two cats in surprise. "Oh, hello Dustpelt." She mewed warmly. The stumpy-tailed apprentice touched noses briefly with her father before looking at Cloudtail. "He's got a slight case of Whitecough, so I'd stay out of this den for a bit." Though her tone was light, there was a hint of worry in her eyes.

Dustpelt mewed gruffly, "I'm not just here to visit." With a slight nod to his apprentice, he explained, "This one got into a tangle with a rouge."

Cottonpaw padded towards Spottedpaw, looking anxious. "Cinderpelt's out getting herbs, but I'll give her a look." She circled the injured apprentice, sniffing at the wounds. "Well, none of them look too dangerous, although he certainly took enough fur off you. Go ahead and clean them while I get a poultice ready." Her words were far more confident than her shaky tone. Spottedpaw guessed that she'd never healed someone without Cinderpelt there before.

The apprentice obeyed, licking the dirt and blood off of her wounds, while Cottonpaw mixed some herbs and leaves together, chewing them into a sticky, smelly poultice. Without warning, she smeared the goo on Spottedpaw's shoulder. The black-and-white apprentice fought the urge to gag.

The cream-furred she-cat coated all of Spottedpaw's wounds with the stuff, then covered them with cobwebs. "That should hold. Stay in the apprentice's den for the day tomorrow." Spottedpaw gaped at the apprentice, ready to protest, but the she-cat cut her off with an impatient wave of her stubby tail. "Go get some rest, and come back if the poultice rubs off." Though she was trying to remain calm, the young she-cat's voice sounded nervous.

Suddenly, shadow fell over the den and a voice sounded behind them. "What's going on?" Spottedpaw turned to see Cinderpelt standing at the entrance, a few scraggly leaves at her paws.

Dustpelt explained briefly what happened. Cinderpelt turned to her apprentice, her eyes warm. "Good job, Cottonpaw. Thanks for taking care of that while I was out." The medicine cat looked over Spottedpaw's wounds with a critical eye. "The poultices look fine. Like a true medicine cat would make." Cottonpaw beamed, her eyes shining fromm her mentor's praise.

Suddenly, she seemed to notice the leaves at the gray she-cat's paws. "Is that all you could find?" She asked in surprise.

Concern replaced the warmth in Cinderpelt's eyes. "Something had crushed and eaten the rest. Probably some stray kittypet, there was plenty of twoleg scent there."

The two medicine cats exchanged worried glances. Spottedpaw had almost forgotten Cloudtail was there, so she jumped a little when he sat up and wheezed, "You don't need to treat me. I'll be fine."

Cinderpelt put her paw firmly on Cloudtail's shoulders, forcing the exhausted tom to the ground. "Great StarClan, Cloudtail, anyone could see you're sick. As if I'd let you go untreated." In a softer tone, she added, "Don't worry, I'll find enough catmint. No need for you to go being all noble."

Cloudtail sighed. "Fine." He mewed hoarsely.

Spottedpaw frowned. If the medicine cats couldn't find enough catmint, what would happen if greencough broke out in ThunderClan?


	15. Thrill of Battle

A sparrow's cry was cut short as Spottedpaw landed square on it's back, snapping it's spine. The tiny apprentice picked up the bird in her jaws and padded over to the roots of a tree. She buried the prey beneath the roots and covered it again, taking care to burry it deep. The last thing she needed on her first solo hunt was for some badger to come blundering along and stealing her prey.

Since her training with Dustpelt mostly consisted on battle training, her hunting hadn't progressed quite has passed. Most apprentices had their first solo hunt before their fourth moon of training. _But then,_ Spottedpaw reflected with an amused twitch of her whiskers, _most apprentices can't beat two warriors twice her size in battle._ The memory of her most recent double-warrior training session with Dustpelt and Longtail made her smile. Sure, she'd come out with a sore hip and a scraped cheek, but Dustpelt had wrenched his shoulder, and Longtail had seemed a little stiff in the neck afterwards. The idea that the temporary deputy had seen her skills in battle was a source of pride for the apprentice.

Suddenly, she caught a new scent. The she-cat narrowed her eyes as she realized it was an unfamiliar cat, not carrying the scent of any Clan. _An intruder!_ She let out an angry hiss. The apprentice lowered herself to the ground and slunk silently towards the scent.

She finally found the source of the scent. A lanky black tom was crouching over a mouse, taking huge bites and wolfing them down quickly. Spottedpaw snarled softly at the sight of it. _That's a _ThunderClan _mouse mangebreath!_ But she held back from attacking. The rouge's ribs were clearly visible; the cat was starving. It'd be better to just give him a warning to get out.

The small she-cat stepped out of the bushes, padding up to the rouge with her fur fluffed up. "This is ThunderClan territory. You better get out of here before a patrol comes our way." She hissed warningly.

The black tom looked at her in surprise, then let out a sharp wheeze of laughter. "What's it to you, kit? I think I'll finish this mouse, then maybe I'll teach you a lesson about manners." When he saw that she wasn't backing down, he crouched protectively over his prey, his voice lowering dangerously. "Beat it kit, before I make you my next meal. Where I come from a little scrap like you would be killed for insolence."

Spottedpaw figured she'd given him warning enough. With a screech she launched herself at the tom, hooking her claws into his shoulder and pulling him sharply down to the ground. The tom let out a shocked yowl, before rolling to his paws, facing the apprentice furiously. She launched herself at him again, meeting his waiting fangs and claws with a hiss of relish.

The apprentice slithered under the tom, knocking his front legs from under him. He tried to fall on her, but she was already gone, sinking her fangs into his leg. He hissed in pain and swiped at her shoulder, throwing her slightly off balance. He got to his paws immediately, lunging at her before she had a chance to get to her paws. The little cat rolled out of the way, bounding to her paws. Spottedpaw paused for a moment, reflecting. _This cat fights like he's had training,_ she thought, panting slightly. Then she shook her head to clear it. _But I'm better!_ With a hair-raising shriek she launched herself at him again.

The two cats battled, Spottedpaw lunging in and out, driving the tom to confusion. Finally, he gave a wail of pain and turned tail, fleeing as fast as his wounds would let him. Spottedpaw stood panting, wounded but proud. _I drove off a rouge on my own._ Aloud, she yowled, "And don't come back!"

Suddenly, a mew sounded behind her. "Nice fight, little one." She turned to see Dustpelt standing behind her, a gruffly impressed look on his face. Spottedpaw was surprised when she realized how long the tom must have been standing there without interfering, then she relaxed. He obviously knew she could handle herself.

The warrior turned and flicked his tail for her to follow. "Come on. Grab your prey and let's get back to camp." Spottedpaw followed him eagerly, digging up her sparrow and a shrew she had caught beforehand on the way.

At camp, Willowpelt was sitting by the fresh-kill pile, in deep conversation with Longtail. Harepaw abd Gingerpaw were sharing a thrush by the apprentices' den, and Dawnkit and Flowerkit were sparring by the nursery.

Dustpelt led Spottedpaw over to Willowpelt and Longtail, who stopped their conversation when they saw them approaching. The brown tabby nudged his apprentice forward. "Go on." He said gruffly. "Tell them what happened."

With a burst of pride, Spottedpaw related the incident with the rouge to her deputy and temporary deputy. Longtail seemed pleased, but Willowpelt looked worried. "Was he wearing a collar, Spottedpaw?" She asked quietly. "Did he mention Scourge?"

Spottedpaw gaped at the deputy. "Scourge? You think that cat was from BloodClan?" The she-cat had only been a kit when the ferocious alley cats attacked the forest, but she and her littermates had heard more about that battle than any other. It was Clan legend. _How cool would it be if he really _was _from BloodClan?!_ "Well, he didn't have a collar, but he did say something about me being killed for my big mouth back where he came from. Oh, and he fought like someone who'd been trained to."

Willowpelt and Longtail exchanged a worried glance. The gray she-cat sighed. "It could very well be BloodClan." To her temporary deputy, she ordered, "Get some of the patrols to do a sweep of the Twolegplace border. The last thing we need is another BloodClan attack." She turned back to the apprentice. "Head over to the medicine den."

Spottedpaw opened her mouth to argue, but Dustpelt gave her a sharp nudge and she fell silent. Her wounds were starting to hurt anyway. She let her mentor lead her to the medicine den.

Inside, Cottonpaw sat in the center, sorting some herbs into a pile. Cloudtail lay near her paws, letting out a slight wheeze. Dustpelt gave him an amused glance. "Swallow too much moss in your sleep, Cloudtail?" He asked jokingly. "You were snoring loud enough last night." The fluffy white tom glared at him.

Cottonpaw looked up at the two cats in surprise. "Oh, hello Dustpelt." She mewed warmly. The stumpy-tailed apprentice touched noses briefly with her father before looking at Cloudtail. "He's got a slight case of Whitecough, so I'd stay out of this den for a bit." Though her tone was light, there was a hint of worry in her eyes.

Dustpelt mewed gruffly, "I'm not just here to visit." With a slight nod to his apprentice, he explained, "This one got into a tangle with a rouge."

Cottonpaw padded towards Spottedpaw, looking anxious. "Cinderpelt's out getting herbs, but I'll give her a look." She circled the injured apprentice, sniffing at the wounds. "Well, none of them look too dangerous, although he certainly took enough fur off you. Go ahead and clean them while I get a poultice ready." Her words were far more confident than her shaky tone. Spottedpaw guessed that she'd never healed someone without Cinderpelt there before.

The apprentice obeyed, licking the dirt and blood off of her wounds, while Cottonpaw mixed some herbs and leaves together, chewing them into a sticky, smelly poultice. Without warning, she smeared the goo on Spottedpaw's shoulder. The black-and-white apprentice fought the urge to gag.

The cream-furred she-cat coated all of Spottedpaw's wounds with the stuff, then covered them with cobwebs. "That should hold. Stay in the apprentice's den for the day tomorrow." Spottedpaw gaped at the apprentice, ready to protest, but the she-cat cut her off with an impatient wave of her stubby tail. "Go get some rest, and come back if the poultice rubs off." Though she was trying to remain calm, the young she-cat's voice sounded nervous.

Suddenly, shadow fell over the den and a voice sounded behind them. "What's going on?" Spottedpaw turned to see Cinderpelt standing at the entrance, a few scraggly leaves at her paws.

Dustpelt explained briefly what happened. Cinderpelt turned to her apprentice, her eyes warm. "Good job, Cottonpaw. Thanks for taking care of that while I was out." The medicine cat looked over Spottedpaw's wounds with a critical eye. "The poultices look fine. Like a true medicine cat would make." Cottonpaw beamed, her eyes shining fromm her mentor's praise.

Suddenly, she seemed to notice the leaves at the gray she-cat's paws. "Is that all you could find?" She asked in surprise.

Concern replaced the warmth in Cinderpelt's eyes. "Something had crushed and eaten the rest. Probably some stray kittypet, there was plenty of twoleg scent there."

The two medicine cats exchanged worried glances. Spottedpaw had almost forgotten Cloudtail was there, so she jumped a little when he sat up and wheezed, "You don't need to treat me. I'll be fine."

Cinderpelt put her paw firmly on Cloudtail's shoulders, forcing the exhausted tom to the ground. "Great StarClan, Cloudtail, anyone could see you're sick. As if I'd let you go untreated." In a softer tone, she added, "Don't worry, I'll find enough catmint. No need for you to go being all noble."

Cloudtail sighed. "Fine." He mewed hoarsely.

Spottedpaw frowned. If the medicine cats couldn't find enough catmint, what would happen if greencough broke out in ThunderClan?


	16. Streampaw Alone

Streampaw woke to the sound of birds singing. The drowsy she-cat lifted her head, instantly feeling the uncomfortable clinging of wet fur on her entire lower half. She looked down to see that she was still half-way in the river, which was far calmer than the night before.

Streampaw got to her paws, her legs stiff from her near-drowning. Hunger gripped her stomach, and her fur was still damp from the river. She split her jaws open in an enourmous yawn. _How long have I been asleep?_ She wondered.

The apprentice shook her head, trying to collect her thoughts. She had to make her way back to Mistyfoot and Firestar. They must be worried out of their fur. Especially Firestar, who had been worrying about something like this happening ever since they left.

The only problem was, she couldn't tell which way exactly Firestar and Sandstorm were. The flood had completely changed the landscape, and since she'd been carried downstream by the river, there wasn't exactly a scent trail for her to follow. She swung her head side to side, trying to judge which way to go. Finally, with a sigh, she started off to her left. _Might as well see where this takes me,_ she thought.

After several hours of walking, she still couldn't tell where she was. That didn't discourage the she-cat too much. She figured that her parents were out there looking for her somewhere, she had seen them climb to safety before the flood. They would have a better idea of where she had gone than she did. They would probably find each other before long. At least, Streampaw hoped so. But the isolation was beginning to make her feel a little lonely. She was used to always having her Clanmates around her.

After a while, the growling in her stomach had grown unignorable. With a sigh, Streampaw padded up to the river, looking down at the clear water. A few fat fish swam below the surface, the sun gleaming on their silver scales. Hunger had always lent an edge to her hunting; before it got dark, she had caught three fish.

The apprentice devoured the fish ravenously, feeling strength returning to her tired limbs. The sun was slowly setting, and she saw no reason for continuing on in the dark. The she-cat curled up on the ground, burying her nose in her paws. _Tomorrow, I'll find them._ She promised herself.

The next day included much of the same wandering. She still didn't recognize where she was, and the scent of Twolegs was growing near. Streampaw slept in a bush, where she felt safer from predators' eyes.

The next day Streampaw awoke to hear a dog snarling. She snapped her eyes open to see a huge brown mutt standing outside the bush, scraping at it with a paw. The gray she-cat gave a screech. She tore out of the bush, ignoring the yelp of surprise from the dog. Blind with terror, she raced forward without a thought of where she was going.

The apprentice saw a fence in front of her. No bothering to think about what was on the other side, she hurled herself over the fence, landing hard on the other side.

She lay there for a few moments, winded. With a moan, the apprentice laid her cheek against the grassy ground. _Why did it have to be a dog?_ She wondered wearily. _Anything else I could have handled._

Suddenly, kit-like shrieks sounded behind her. Streampaw lifted her head in time to see two little twolegs, kits most likely, toddling over to her. She got to her paws to run but one of the creatures picked her up. It held her tightly in its hairless paws, hugging her close to its body. The other twoleg kit squealed with delight, coming over to run its dark paw over Streampaw's head.

The blue-gray apprentice tried to struggle free, but the kit's grip with tight. She felt uncomfortable with its limbs wrapped tightly around her chest, forcing her forelegs up. Streampaw considered biting the kit, but the sight of its young face stopped her. _Its just a kit._ she thought. Aloud she yowled, "Let me go! I'm not a kittypet, let me go!"

Clearly the kit didn't understand her, as it kept squeezing her. Streampaw tried harder to twist free, but it was no use. Suddenly, a battle yowl sounded nearby, and a brown tabby bounded up onto the fence, jumping down near the kits. He let out a hiss. "Let the cat go!"

The kits looked at the tom in surprise. Streampaw meowed to the stranger, "Can you help me out of here?"

The tabby nodded, lashing a tail that seemed to be half gone. "As soon as the kit lets go, get out of here." Without another word, he lunged at the kit, swiping at it angrily with sheathed paws. The kit let out a frightened shriek, loosening its grip on Streampaw. The apprentice was able to wriggle free and drop to the ground. Without a second glance she bolted, launching herself over the fence with every fiber of strength she had.

Once she had her bearings back, she realized she wasn't in the forest again. She must have jumped over another section of fence. "Well, I'm not going back that way." She mewed aloud to herself. "Might as well circle around, try to find another way back to the woods."

Soon, it became clear that she was only getting farther and farther from the forest. She went from yard to yard, but they were all starting to look the same. The sun was starting to set too, and she hadn't eaten all day.

Near sun-down, she collapsed in a small yard with a few scraggly bushes, too tired to jump the next fence. She had just made her way into of the bushes, having decided to sleep there the night, when a voice called out, "Who's out there?"

Streampaw peered through the bushes to see the outline of a cat standing in front of the twoleg nest. She froze. The cat continued, "I can smell you, I know you're there. Why don't you come out? I won't hurt you." The voice sounded friendly enough, and young. Streampaw finally padded out of the bush, sniffing cautiously in the cat's direction.

It was a young smokey gray tabby tom with an interesting, curly pelt. His eyes were a bright green, and he seemed plump, with a multi-colored collar around his neck. A kittypet.

He looked at Streampaw with curiousity. "I haven't seen you around before. Where do your housefolk live?" The kittypet gave her thin frame and unkept fur a brief glance. "Whoever they are, they don't seem to be feeding you right. You want to share some of my food?"

Streampaw backed up a step, shaking her head. "I'm not supposed to go in twoleg nests." She mewed warily.

The tom blinked at her. "Don't worry, my housefolk won't bother you. Other house cats come in and out of here all the time, they're used to it." He stopped, his whiskers twitching in surprise. "Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sherlock."

The apprentice twitched her ears in surprise. _What kind of name is Sherlock?_ "My name is Streampaw." She said, dipping her head respectfully.

Sherlock looked amused. "_Streampaw?_ That's an off name, no question." He seemed on the verge of asking more questions, then gave himself a shake. "Well Streampaw, you're not going to make it much farther without something to eat. C'mon, I'll show you the cat door." He padded up to the nest, turning to look over his shoulder. "You coming?"

Streampaw hesitated. The young tom certainly seemed nice enough, and she did need food if she wanted to keep looking for my parents. _You're not in the forest anymore,_ she reminded herself wearily. _StarClan will understand._

Aloud she mewed, "Sure." Head and tail lowered nervously, she followed the kitty pet through the soft, easily moved cat flap.

The inside of the twoleg nest was unlike anything she'd seen before. Even the abandoned twoleg nest they'd explored could not compare. The floors were made of something that smelled like wood, but was far smoother than the bark of any tree. The walls were an unnatural shade of blue, and there were strange twoleg things everywhere, all of which seemed to stretch far over the cats' heads. Streampaw felt small and out of place in the alien environment.

Sherlock seemed unstoppably curious. His eyes bright, he babbled on with his endless questions. "Where do you come from? You don't seem like any other house cat I know. Where's your collar? Oh wait, are you one of those rouge cats?"

Streampaw answered distractedly, "No, I'm a Clan cat." At Sherlock's confused mew, she sighed, "I'll explain, but can we get to that food you were talking about first? I'm really tired."

Sherlock nodded. "Of course. It's just through here." He led her to another room, their pawsteps echoing strangely on the hard ground. Streampaw missed the silence that the soft forest floor offered.

Against the wall, there were three strange white leaves. The one with the deepest indent held stale-smelling water. The other two had both soft pink stuff and little hard lumps like rabbit droppings. Streampaw curled her lip. "_That's_ what you eat?"

Sherlock shrugged. "It tastes better than it looks. Come on, take what you want."

A low growl sounded behind them. "Yes, take what you want, as long as it's not from my plate, unless you want your ears missing."

Streampaw turned to see an old gray she-cat with a white muzzle, chest, belly, paws, and tail tip. She wore a clean green collar that ontrasyed her grizzled pelt, and her yellow eyes were sharp and hostile. The apprentice dipped her head in fear. "I don't mean to intrude," she murmured. _I thought Sherlock said I'd be welcome here,_ she thought desperately.

To the apprentice's surprise, Sherlock let out a snort. "No call to be rude, Athena." He turned to Streampaw and mewed in a quieter voice, "Don't mind Athena. Her hiss is worse than her scratch." In an even lower voice, he added, "Especially since her old housefolk took her claws away."

Streampaw stiffened in shock. _They took her claws?!_Why in StarClan's name would any cat want to be a kittypet, if this was how twolegs treated them? When Athena's snarl sounded, she realized she'd been staring at the old she-cat's paws. The young cat looked away, ears flattened in embarrassment.

Athena growled, "Hasn't anyone taught you manners, rouge? Wild cats like you have no care for any other cat." Her tail lashed irritably as she turned and stalked away.

Sherlock shrugged. "Her loss." With a friendly flick of his tail he added, "She's not so bad once you get to know her. Come on, let's eat." He lowered his head to the leaf, and after hesitating, Streampaw joined him. The pink stuff was tasty but also wet and mushy. The pellets were dry and tasteless.

After the meal, Streampaw began to tell Sherlock about life in the Clans. His eyes grew wide as she talked about training to be a warrior, and hunting in the forest that she had grown up in. Homesickness gripped her as she spoke of her siblings and the trouble they had gotten into.

When she was done, Sherlock asked her, "So you're still just an apprentice?"

Streampaw nodded quietly. "I've got two moons left in my training. My mentor, Swiftblaze, is still in our territory. My parents were traveling with me, but we got separated in the storm. I have to find them again before we can go on." Briefly she explained their quest to find SkyClan and the dreams Firestar had had.

Sherlock let out an envious sigh. "It sounds so much better than life here. It's like an adventure every day." He gave the kittypet food a contemptuous glance. "Food sounds better too."

Streampaw's heart twisted painfully in her chest. "It's nothing like here." She said quietly. "In the forest, you can always feel the wind, and you're free to live life as you wish, not by the laws the twolegs set. We let the warrior code our hearts, and we trust in StarClan to guide us. The only food we can eat is what we manage to catch ourselves, and we fight our battles with honor in our hearts. It's the best way I know of living."

Sherlock looked at the she- cat with a smile. "Hey, don't worry. You'll find your parents."

Streampaw shrugged, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. "I guess. But it's too late to go looking for them tonight. I'll start my search again in the morning." Suddenly remembering that he had not yet extended an invitation to stay the night, she mewed, "I'm sorry for the trouble , but is there anywhere here that I can sleep?"

Sherlock gave a friendly flick of his tail. "Of course. Athena usually sleeps with the housefolk, so you can use her nest. She won't mind."

Streampaw was too tired to argue. "Thank you, Sherlock." She mewed, her jaws splitting in an enormous yawn. She followed the kittypet to another room. This one had two soft-looking piles of what looked like wool. Sherlock curled up in the first one, waving his tail for Streampaw to take the other. She settled herself on the pile without complaint, enjoying the softness against her fur. "Good night." Sherlock purred.

Streampaw mewed a weary "Good night," in reply before drifting into a dreamless sleep.

The apprentice welcome to see Sherlock's eager face inches from hers. "Good morning!" He purred.

Streampaw lifted her head, initially alarmed by her surroundings before she remembered why she was there. Light was streaming into the twoleg nest, making its strangeness even more plain to the apprentice. She suddenly felt as though the walls were closing in on her, threatening to crush her. She gasped out, "I have to get out of here!"

Sherlock looked puzzled, but he mewed, "Alright. Let's go out to the garden." He led her once more out the cat flap.

Once in the garden, Streampaw felt herself relax. Those sound of birds song and the feel of the wind against her fur soothed the apprentice. With a pang, she remembered ThunderClan's territory. _What if I never make it back?_ she wailed internally.

Oblivious to her torrent of thoughts, Sherlock stretched out his front legs. "The weather is great today." He remarked cheerfully. "You'll have better luck finding your parents with the sun out."

Streampaw nodded, her heart lifted by the the thought. "You're right." She agreed. "Thanks for the food, Sherlock, but I really should get going."

Sherlock opened his mouth to speak, but a low growl sounded behind them first. "Well then leave, and good riddance to you!" It was Athena, her yellow eyes as fierce and hostile as the night before. The apprentice shrank before her angry gaze.

Sherlock frowned, looking down shyly at his paws. "Actually, I was kind of hoping I could go with you."

Streampaw gaped at him, stunned. She managed a strangled, "What?" On Sherlock's other side, Athena looked equally shocked, an almost motherly expression of fear in her eyes.

Sherlock gave a sheepish grin. "I know I'm just a house c- er, I mean kittypet, but I've always liked it better outside. Besides, the kind of life you were talking about last night sounds amazing. I can't imagine a better way to live."

Streampaw felt uncomfortable at Sherlock's admiring tone. "Clan life isn't all glamorous." She warned. "You would be expected to always put your Clan's needs ahead of your own. In the harshness of leaf- bare, there is no guarantee of warmth or food. You will be asked to give your life for your Clan if necessary. Can you do that?"

Sherlock nodded, trying to look serious but unable to cover his excitement. "Let's get going!" He yowled excitedly. Then he sobered when he saw Athena's crushed expression. He pressed his muzzle against the old she-cat's cheek. "I'm sorry Athena, but I have to go. I'll miss you."

Athena was still with shock, before letting out a sad, hoarse purr. "Get out of here then, you thankless kit." She mewed without much conviction. The old she-cat gave Sherlock a quick lick between the ears. "Good luck to you, Sherlock." She said in a softer voice. "Remember that you always have a home here."

The old kittypet turned to Streampaw, stalking a few steps towards her. In a low growl, she said, "If that cat gets hurt, I'll leave your entrails in the litterbox."

Streampaw dipped her head in understanding. "I promise I'll keep him safe." She mewed. Athena simply snorted, turning and stalking away.

The two started off, scaling fence after fence in an attempt to get back to the river. Luckily, Sherlock knew his way around twolegplace well enough to steer them towards the river. They were about to scale their last fence when a yowl of panic sounded, soon joined by another. Streampaw froze in shock. _Firestar and Mistyfoot!_

She let out a battle yowl. "My parents need help!" Without waiting to see if Sherlock would follow, she sprinted back over the other fence, leaping over two more before she found the source of the noise. Firestar and Mistyfoot were locked in battle with a fierce tortoiseshell kittypet. The Clan cats looked thin and weak, and the kittypet had them more than beat.

Streampaw let out a challenging shriek before launching herself at the kittypet. The tortoiseshell yowled in pain as the apprentice fastened her claws in her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sherlock leap over the fence and charge at the kittypet, teeth bared.

The tortoiseshell was badly outnumbered, and she knew it. With a last yowl, she fled to her twoleg nest with her tail between her legs.

Firestar and Mistyfoot got to their paws, seeming to finally register who their saviours were. Mistyfoot shrieked, "Streampaw! Oh thank StarClan you're alright!" Both cats rushed to their daughter, greeting her with an onslaught of purrs and rubs. Streampaw felt a purr rumbling in her throat as she realized that her parents were safe.

After what felt like ages, Firestar pulled back. "Who's this?" he asked, nodding to Sherlock.

Streampaw explained, "This is Sherlock. He wants to join the new Clan. He helped me find you."

Firestar dipped his head to the kittypet. "Thank you so much." He turned to Streampaw, "I thought I'd lost you." He murmured quietly.

Streampaw straightened, knowing the importance of what she must say next. "I'm not a kit anymore, Firestar." The leader started to protest, but Mistyfoot cut him off with a sharp flick of her tail. Streampaw was grateful for her support. She continued, "I can take care of myself. This is the second time I've come in and saved you two. I think I'm as capable as any warrior. I want to share in this quest as an equal, not be shunted off to the side for protection. I think I've proved myself enough to you."

Firestar lowered his head shamefully. "I know. You've been braver on this quest than I've had any right to expect. Mistyfoot and I have been talking, and I've agreed to let you live your own life." There was fear in his mew, but love and admiration too.

Father and daughter touched noses for a moment, then Streampaw pulled back. "Come on." She meowed.

The four cats made their way over the last of the fences, leaving twolegplace firmly behind them.


	17. Kin and Politics

Half a moon later, Willowpelt and Longtail stood at the entrance of the ravine, waiting for the rest of the patrol. The time had come for the Gathering, and both Rustypaw and his sister were attending. Gingerpaw, Harepaw, and Cottonpaw would be attending for the first time, but not Sorrelpaw. The tortoiseshell had been coughing the last few days, and Cinderpelt was worried the young cat had caught Cloudtail's whitecough. Her brothers had volunteered to stayed behind with her. Rustypaw was concerned for his friend and Cloudtail's. What if their whitecough became greencough? What if Cinderpelt couldn't find enough herbs to heal them?

Spottedpaw's impatient mew brought Rustypaw out of his thoughts. "The patrol's leaving, Rustypaw. Move your tail!" The tom saw his sister glaring at him with annoyance in her ice-blue eyes.

With a slight hiss of embarrassment Rustypaw turned to follow the patrol out into their territory. His mind was tumbling with questions. Willowpelt would be representing ThunderClan as its leader at this Gathering. How would the other Clans react to not only the news that Firestar and Mistyfoot had left, but that ThunderClan had also lost its deputy.

Rustypaw felt a pang of grief for his mentor. Graystripe had died nearly a moon ago, yet it still pained the apprentice not to see the tom's friendly gray face at training. He was not the only cat that Rustypaw missed either. As Spottedpaw took her familiar place slightly ahead of Rustypaw on his right side, he felt a breeze brush past his left shoulder where Streampaw would normally be. He turned sadly to his sister. "This isn't right. "He murmered. "Streampaw should be with us."

Spottedpaw sighed, her expression unusually subdued. "I know. But they'll be back before we know it." She brightened, giving her brother's shoulder a friendly nudge. "Come on, cheer up! We're going to the Gathering after all."

Rustypaw nodded, attempting to shake off his gloomy mood. This was only his second Gathering - he had missed the last three due to late training - and it would be great to see their half-siblings again.

The ThunderClan patrol soon reached Fourtrees. WindClan and RiverClan were already there, but ShadowClan had yet to arrive. Willowpelt waved her tail for the patrol to follow her as she raced down the hill to Fourtrees. Rustypaw bolted down the hill beside his sister, his heart pounding with excitement.

Once they reach the rest of the cats, Rustypaw and Spottedpaw went off together towards a group of apprentices, their half-brother Reedpaw among them. The group consisted of a young dark gray tom that smelled of WindClan, along with a strangely familiar dark tabby tom and a golden tabby she-cat who smelled of RiverClan.

The golden tabby flicked her tail in a friendly manner. "Hi! I'm Mothpaw, and this is my brother Hawkpaw, and Crowpaw of WindClan."

Hawkpaw's eyes were narrowed in and unwelcoming manner, so Rustypaw turned to Crowpaw instead. "Is this your first Gathering?" he asked the young tom kindly.

Crowpaw flinched from the question, then narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. What about it? I'm the _deputy's_apprentice, so leave me alone."

Rustypaw was surprised by the apprentice's unfriendly manner, but with battle-hungry tom like Mudclaw as his mentor, perhaps it wasn't that shocking. "I was the deputy's apprentice too," Rustypaw mewed. "I'm Rustypaw, and this is my sister Spottedpaw."

Reedpaw turned to Hawkpaw and Mothpaw. "These are my half-siblings I was telling you about." He turned back to Rustypaw and Spottedpaw with a smile. "Where's Streampaw?"

Rustypaw flicked his tail uncomfortably. "Um, I think she's pretty busy at camp."

Spottedpaw cut in hastily, "How are Graypaw, Swallowpaw, and Dawnpaw?"

Reedpaw's expression turned sour. "Oh they're fine," the apprentice said with an irritated lash of his tail, "They're warriors now."

Spottedpaw tipped her head to the side in question. "Why them and not you?" She asked curiously.

Reedpaw gave an annoyed snort. "Because Leopardstar caught me stealing prey from a badger's den."

Spottedpaw chuckled, and Rustypaw took in a sharp breath. "Tough luck," he mewed sympathetically.

Reedpaw was about to speak again when a yowl sounded. ShadowClan had arrived. The warriors hurled themselves down the hill, their eyes gleaming with a fierce light. Now all the Clans were here.

As Rustypaw and Spottedpaw left to find their Clanmates, a young smoky grey apprentice who stank of ShadowClan approached them. "Are you Streampaw's siblings?"

Rustypaw blinked at the apprentice, surprised by his shrewdness. Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes. Why?"

The apprentice looked relieved. "I thought so. You smell a bit like her." He sat, curling his tail around his paws. "I'm Smokepaw by the way."

Rustypaw suddenly understood. "You're the apprentice Streampaw helped, aren't you?" he realized aloud.

The smokey gray tom glanced around sheepishly before nodding. "Is she here? I want to thank her for giving me the thrush. I owe her."

Spottedpaw and Rustypaw exchanged a glance. Rustypaw explained, "Streampaw's not here today. I'm sure she'll be glad you're faring well though." For some reason, Rustypawfelt he could trust the young, naive apprentice. Besides, Willowpelt hadn't forbidden speaking of Firestar's quest. "StarClan has called her and our parents on a special quest."

Smokepaw's eyes grew wide in wonder. "Really? Wow!" He got to his paws, his tail giving a friendly flick. "Well, while she's gone, I'll have to give my thanks. If there's something you need, just tell me." With that, he padded off to join a black ShadowClan she-cat.

Rustypaw stared after the apprentice, amused. "I think we just made a friend." He chuckled to Spottedpaw.

The black-and-white apprentice seemed less pleased with the turn of events. "We're not supposed to have friendships outside the Clan." She hissed to her brother.

"No, that's not true." The ginger tom argued. "We're allowed to be friends with cats in other Clans, we're just not allowed to let such friendships get in the way of Clan loyalty."

Spottedpaw snorted in disbelief. She opened her mouth to argue, but she was interrupted by Tallstar's yowl. "Warriors of all Clans!"

Rustypaw turned to see the elderly black-and-white leader standing at the edge of the Great Rock. Blackstar, Leopardstar, and Willowpelt stood behind him. Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd as they realized Willowpelt was there instead of Firestar and Graystripe. _They don't know that Graystripe's dead yet._ Rustypaw remembered sadly. _As far as they know, Willowpelt is just a normal warrior._

Tallstar waved his long tail for silence. "Welcome to the Gathering! Willowpelt of ThunderClan has asked to speak first." He stepped back, allowing the pale gray queen to come to the edge. There was total silence in the crowd. Everyone wanted to hear what she had to say.

Willowpelt stood unflinchingly before the cats of all four Clans. "Cats of all Clans, our leader Firestar has been called away by StarClan for a journey. We are sure he will be back soon to address you all himself." Mews of excitement broke out in the crowd, but Willowpelt silenced them with a sharp flick of her tail. "I stand before you as ThunderClan's new deputy. My son Graystripe died while defending his Clanmate from a badger." She turned to Blackstar, the strength in her voice wavering as she spoke of her fallen son. "It ran towards your territory, so keep an eye out."

Blackstar gave an indiscernible nod, his eyes betraying sympathy for the queen. Willowpelt turned back to the crowd. "In other news, ThunderClan has three new apprentices. Harepaw and Gingerpaw are here tonight with their mentors. Cottonpaw is also here, as ThunderClan's new medicine cat apprentice."

Cheers rose from the crowd. "Harepaw! Gingerpaw! Cottonpaw!" Harepaw stood with his head held high, puffing his chest out proudly. Cottonpaw lowered her head shyly, and Gingerpaw flinched away from the attention. Willowpelt spoke up again. "Also, our apprentice Spottedpaw drove a rouge from our territory. He went to twolegplace, so I doubt he'll be bothering us again."

Cheering started up for the small apprentice. "Spottedpaw! Spottedpaw!" Rustypaw frowned. He was proud of his sister, of course, but she could really be reckless sometimes. What if she'd lost? There would have been no one there to help her. He sighed, shaking his head. _She needs to learn to be more careful._

Willowpelt finished with, "Other than that, ThunderClan has nothing to report." She stepped back to join the leaders.

Leopardstar took her place, dipping her head to the gray queen. "RiverClan is sorry for your loss," she rasped. To Rustypaw's surprise, her amber eyes gleamed with sadness and respect. "Graystripe was a fine and noble warrior. StarClan will give him a spot of honor in their ranks."

Her voice grew more formal as she continued, "RiverClan has named three new warriors this moon. Here tonight is Graymist, Swallowtail, and Dawnflower!" The crowd began cheering for the warriors. Rustypaw craned his neck to see his half-siblings in the crowd. There they were, standing together proudly. The ginger tom raised his voice to join the crowd's, hearing his sister join him moments after. "Graymist! Dawnflower! Swallowtail!"

Leopardstar waved her tail for silence. "RiverClan has also welcomed two kits to its ranks. Shadepelt has given birth to Graykit and Oakkit." Once the cheering died down again, she added, "We also have found foxes living in our territory. Our warriors plan to drive them out in two days' time. We will send word if they head to any of your territories. Other than that, I have nothing left to report."

Blackstar and Tallstar kept their reports brief, with Crowpaw as a new apprentice being pretty much the most exciting thing to report. After Blackstar ended his report, the Gathering started to break up. Rustypaw weaved his way through the crowd to find Swallowtail, Graymist, and Dawnflower still together. He touched his muzzle to Graymist's in greeting. "Congratulations." He purred.

Graymist and Dawnflower gave grateful purrs, but Swallowtail turned away uncomfortably before padding away. Rustypaw twitched his ear in her direction. "What's her problem?" He asked.

Graymist was the one to explain. "Blackclaw's been harassing her for being a ThunderClan cat's daughter. She just wants to prove that she's loyal to RiverClan."

Dawnflower added unhopefully, "But I'm sure she'll come around." The two she-cats padded away to join their Clanmates, leaving Rustypaw to his confused thoughts. _I know Clan loyalty is important, but the warrior code permits up to have friends outside the Clan. And doesn't family mean anything?_ Shaking his head to clear it, he padded off to join the ThunderClan patrol.

* * *

This is all I've got for now. If anyone has actually picked up where I left off with A Misty Flame and read all the way through here, you have the patience of a saint and I applaud you. I will try to have more chapters up soon.


	18. An Ancient Lie

Streampaw, her parents, and Sherlock were all crouched down in a bush together, their fur chilled by the crisp night air. The gray apprentice stifled a yawn, wishing she was asleep back in the caves. But tonight was the full-moon, and Moony was bound to come here.

The old gray cat was their best hope for finding the lost Clan. The two kittypets, Cherry and Borris, had told them that Moony talked about starry cats and a code of honor, and that he came to the gorge every full moon and carried out a sacred truce. This cat obviously knew about the warrior code, and if he knew about SkyClan, maybe he knew where the rest of the Clan was.

Sherlock was crouched down beside her. The former kittypet had proved to be somewhat competent in the last half-moon. He had learned about mousing from Athena, he just had to work those skills into hunting in the wild. The goofy tom was still adjusting to life in the woods but at least he'd gotten rid of his collar. The kittypet's soft pawpads and pampered fur made him unsuited for life outside, and he seemed completely unfamiliar with the concept of hunger. Still, he was trying.

Suddenly, an elderly dark gray tom padded slowly into view. He walked slowly and stiffly, his sagging belly and lowered tail giving him the air of a defeated cat. This was sharply contrasted by his brightly shining eyes and the proud carriage of his head.

Moony came to the end of the trail. The stony path ended in front of him, leading to a sharp drop that stretched too far down to see the ground below. Several foxlengths away was a sheer rock face. The old gray cat looked solemnly at the rock ledge, and Streampaw gasped as she realized that he was going to try to jump onto it. _How'll he manage it?_she wondered worriedly.

Moony paused a few tail-lengths from the end of the trail before stumbling forward as quickly as he could and launching himself at the rock face. He landed clumsily with his front paws hanging onto the rock and his hind legs dangling precariously over the gap. After a few terrifying moments, the elderly tom pulled himself up onto the rock face and scrambled a safe distance away. Streampaw allowed herself to relax, and she heard Sherlock let out a sigh of relief beside her. The kittypet leaned close to her and breathed, "That was seriously _cool_!"

Moony lifted his silver-shot muzzle to the sky, his ice-blue eyes fixed on the stars above. He began to speak very softly in a voice hoarse with age. The four hiding cats crept forward slightly to hear him better. The old cat murmured, "Spirits of cats who have gone before, I am sorry I am the only cat left of what was once a noble Clan. I will try to preserve the way of the warrior until my last breath. But I fear that when I die it will die with me, and the memory of SkyClan will be lost forever."

The ancient cat stood looking at the sky several moments longer, as though waiting for a reply that never came. Finally, he let out a soft sigh, slowly lowering his head. He stood in silence as the moon crawled its way down the starry sky, the moonlight turning his dull coat into a startling silver. He looked like a cat made of starlight. Streampaw felt a rush of awe for the solemn cat.

Finally, the moon finished its descent, disappearing behind the rocky ground. Streampaw saw Firestar shift beside her as if to move forward. Before any of the cats could reveal themselves, Moony turned to face the bush where they were hiding, his ice-blue eyes glowing eerily in the moonlight. "I know you're there." He meowed sharply. "I 'm not so old that I can't pick up a scent."

Streampaw flattened her ears in embarrassment, her face going hot as she exchanged a guilty glance with her parents. Firestar led the three cats out of their hiding place and came to stand before Moony. The leader dipped his head respectfully. "Greetings Moony. We - "

The old gray tom stiffened indignantly. "That is not my name." He stood, drawing himself up to his full height before asserting, "My name is Sky."

Firestar stiffened, his eyes widening in excitement. "Were you once a warrior of SkyClan?"

Sky shook his head. "I was not." He grew more hostile as they prodded him with more questions about SkyClan.

Firestar protested that they only wanted to help. Streampaw added. "We're ThunderClan cats. I'm Streampaw, a ThunderClan apprentice. This is is Sherlock, who wants to join SkyClan, and these two are my parents, Mistyfoot and Firestar. Firestar is the Clan leader."

Sky glanced warily at the flame-colored tom, his expression a mixture of distrust and respect. Firestar began to explain his dream to the elderly tom. Sky listened as the leader explained, but when he finished the old cat sprang to his paws, his matted fur bristling menacingly. "Do you think it's that easy?" he spat furiously? "Do you think the wrongs of the past can be forgiven so easily?" He went on to accuse the forest Clans of casting SkyClan out, causing the destruction of his Clan. Streampaw was shocked by his accusations. _Could it be true?_ she wondered in horror. _Could the Clans have truly been cruel enough to drive out their fellow Clan?_ For the compassionate apprentice, this was too much. Failing to help your rivals is one thing, but driving them away in their time of need is quite another. The blue-gray apprentice felt a rush of hatred for the ancient Clans and their selfish act. _How could any cat be so cruel?_

As they spoke further with Sky, it became clear that SkyClan was no more. Streampaw's guilt grew with each word, dragging like a weight in her gut. _I'm descended from the cats who did this._

Later, as they led the old cat back to the den area, Streampaw dropped back behind the others. She waited until the foliage ahead had swallowed them up before looking up at the night sky. The stars glittered almost coldly in the darkness. Streampaw tried to remember the comfort she'd once found in them, but all she saw were the guilty souls of her selfish ancestors. "How could you do thus, StarClan?" Streamoaw whispered. Her voice was getting choked up and she hated it. "The warrior code says to show compassion. Was it all a lie?" She needed an answer, or at least excuses that she could reject, but the stars were silent. Streampaw's gaze flitted desperately over the starry expanse, but there was no answer for her there. With a snarl of disgust the apprentice turned and padded away.

* * *

Sorry for the lack of updates on this story. I'll try to update more frequently now. Anyway, as I said on "There's No Place," I have a set schedule now. I write a Waariors fanfic chapter, a Lion King fanfic chapter, and a chapter of "There's No Place." Up next, more "Quiet Before the Storm."


	19. The Immortal Enemy

The sound of a cat wheezing woke Spottedpaw. The little she-cat lifted her head, letting out a slight hiss of annoyance. Irritation turned to concern when she saw Harepaw hunched over near his nest. The young gray-brown tom was coughing miserably, his face scrunched up in pain. Spottedpaw felt a weight drop in her belly. _Another cat sick_. she thought worriedly.

The tiny black-and-white cat padded up to her denmate. "You should probably see Cinderpelt and Cottonpaw about that cough," she mewed gruffly.

Harepaw glared weakly at the small cat. "What's it to you?" The apprentice wheezed. Spottedpaw was irresistibly reminded of the tom's gruff father. He was so like Dustpelt, from his scruffy tabby pelt to his blunt attitude.

The black-and-white she-cat nudged the apprentice with her shoulder. "I don't need your father shredding my ears 'cause I let you cough yourself to death." At the tabby'd sulky look, Spottedpaw gruffly softened her tone. "C'mon, it's not like Willowpelt won't notice. Just save yourself the trouble."

Harepaw sighed. "Fine. Thanks Spottedpaw." The young tom got shakily to his paws and made his way slowly out of the den. Spottedpaw waited a few moments before following him out, wincing slightly as her shoulder twinged. Her wounds from the battle with the rogue still ached, but at least she didn't have to wear the smelly poultice anymore.

As she made her way into the camp, the sounds of coughing and the scent of sickness came from the medicine den. Spottedpaw slid her claws out irritably. Cloudtail's whitecough had turned to greencough, Harepaw, Dustpelt, Sorrelpaw, Rainpaw, and Thornpelt had all caught whitecough, and One-eye had a bad case of greencough. One-eye had gotten so weak that she looked like a skeleton with fur. Spottedpaw knew that Cinderpelt didn't hold out much hope for her surviving.

_I feel so useless!_ The small she-cat felt in control in a fight, but the sickness that was ravaging her Clan was far beyond her control. She wished there was something, anything she could do. Cinderpelt still couldn't find enough catmint to heal the sick warriors. It wasn't even leafbare yet. If the medicine cats couldn't reign in this bout of greencough before the cold weather came, it could spread through the whole Clan.

With Dustpelt in the medicine den, Spottedpaw figured that she'd be most useful out hunting. The small she-cat grabbed a quick bite to eat, told Longtail where she was going, and made her way out into the forest.

The further she went inti the forest, the more faded the greencough scent became. Spottedpaw allowed herself to relax. Out here, she could be useful for her Clan, even of there was nothing she could do at camp. The young cat soon brought down two mice and a shrew. Maybe not a Sandstorm-worthy hint, but Spottedpaw was happy with what she'd caught.

She was getting ready to take it all back to camp when hushed whispers reached her ears. The little black-and-white cat froze. Intruders?She lowered herself to the ground and slunk forward as noiselessly as she could. The voices grew louder, but Spottedpaw halted when she realized she recognized them. "Willowpelt, I'm telling you, there's no catmint anywhere in our territory. There's nothing left."

"Just keep looking." Willowpelt's voice was a weary whisper. Spottedpaw felt a pang of sympathy for the she-cat. First she lost her son, then she went straight from warrior to leader, then her Clan started to get over-run by Greencough.

The first voice, which Spottedpaw realized was Cinderpelt's, sounded more annoyed this time. "There's no use in looking for something that isn't there!" She paused, as though taking a few moments to compose herself. "Cloudtail's getting worse, and One-eye's days away from StarClan. We need catmint, and I'm sure Littlecloud or Mudfur will have some."

"Cinderpelt, we can't go to the other Clans about this!" Willowpelt's voice had taken on a more urgent tone. "You saw those RiverClan cats at the Gathering. They're not as well fed as usual. I'm willing to bet those foxes they were talking about are causing more of a problem than they'll admit. And Blackstar looked pretty interested when he found out I'm ThunderClan's only leader right now." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "We are missing three of our cats, one of whom is our leader, and plenty more are weak from Greencough. We can't reveal how weak we are, not right now. Not when we're not capable of fending off any attacks."

"Would you rather me sit on my tail when Ishould be doing something for our Clanmates?"

Willowpelt's reply was too low for Spottedpaw to hear. The little she-cat backed away as silently as she could, ears burning in shame. She wished she hadn't eavesdropped; Cinderpelt's despair had shaken her to her core. _She really thinks that there's no hope for us._ Willowpelt was right, they couldn't go to the other Clans. But what options did that leave them?

Spottedpaw felt almost shaky with sudden fear. An enemy with claws and fangs was a welcome challenge, and even a death in battle would be a welcome one, so long as she went down fighting. But this... disease. It came with no warning, no hint. It was invisible, soundless, and yet more deadly than any foe. And no matter how fierce or strong or determined the victim was, the sharpest claws couldn't touch it. It was an enemy without a voice, without a face, and without mortality, and that scared Spottedpaw more than she cared to admit. And now that even the medicine cat seemed to have given up? She was more terrified than she'd ever felt before.

In a sudden burst of fury, Spottedpaw whirled around and slashed viciously at a tree behind her, ravaging the barky surface and letting out a furious shriek. _I feel so_ useless! If there were an enemy she could fight, she'd tear into him with everything she had, but right now her Clanmates were dying around her and there was literallynothing she could do. And she too might be taken eventually.

She turned away from the tree, panting from the effort her fury had cost her. The apprentice took a few shaky breaths before drawing herself up to her full height, reigning in her it together. I have to do what I can for my Clanmates. I won't be much use if I'm catatonic with terror. So snap out of it!

Spottedpaw stays out for a few more hours, putting as much energy as she can into hunting. That way, she doesn't have to think about what's waiting for her back at camp. And she was right to worry. As she dragged as much of her catch as she could carry into the camp, she was greeted by a loud wail from the medicine den. "One-Eye is dead!"

* * *

So Spottedpaw isn't as fearless as she seems, and ThunderClan seems to be in quite a bit of trouble. Back to Streampaw next chapter, then to Rustypaw.


	20. There Will Be Three

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!"

Streampaw looked up in surprise at the familiar call. She had been working with Cherry, Borris, and Sherlock to organize the nests in SkyClan's new apprentice den. Last night had been the meeting of all the potential SkyClan cats. Cherry and Boris had been among those who chose to join. Streampaw was glad they were here - feisty Cherry reminded her of her sister Spottedpaw, while the level-headed Boris was more like Rustypaw.

Cherry, Boris, and Sherlock seemed confused by Firestar's call. "Does that mean us?" Boris asked uncertainly.

Streampaw nodded. "Follow me."

She led the new apprentices out to the clearing, where the older cats were already gathering. Firestar stood on top of the rock pile Sky had pointed out in their first tour of the camp. His head was lifted proudly as he looked down on all the Clan he had worked to bring together. "Cats of SkyClan, last night you committed yourselves to this Clan and the warrior code. Today the Clan will honor you with your Clan names."

Streampaw watched with pride as Sharpclaw, Leafdapple, Patchfoot, Shortwhisker, and Clovertail claimed their warrior names. iSkyClan is finally a reality,/i she thought with a purr. Sparrowpaw and Cherrypaw were next, then Sherlock was called forward. Before Firestar could say anything, the former kittypet mewed, "Listen, Firestar, I appreciate being accepted into SkyClan, but can I keep my name?" Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd, but Sherlock didn't seem self-conscious. "My twolegs were good to me. I couldn't stay with them, but I'd like to keep the name that they gave me."

Firestar's brow furrowed in worry, but finally he nodded. "From this day forward, this apprentice will continue to be known as Sherlock." His gaze flicked over the crowd before settling on one warrior. "Patchfoot, you will be mentor to Sherlock."

As the two touched noses, Firestar's emerald gaze fell on his daughter. "Streampaw, come forward." The blue-gray she-cat blinked in surprise, then stepped toward the Rockpile. Her father continued, "You are not a member of SkyClan, but as you help to mentor the new Clan, your own training must continue. Since Swiftblaze is not here, a new mentor must take his place. That new mentor," he said with a small smile, "will be Clovertail."

Streampaw blinked in surprise. iClovertail?/i She turned to see the brown she-cat gaping at Firestar. "I-I can't mentor an apprentice!" Clovertail sputtered. "I don't know anything!"

"You will learn along with the rest of the Clan," Firestar promised. "Streampaw has learned much from Swiftblaze; she will be an asset in training."

Streampaw padded up to her new mentor and stretched out her muzzle. Clovertail hesitated, throwing Firestar a fearful glance, but finally she reached forward and touched noses with her apprentice.

The last cat to be called up was Sky. The old tom seemed truly touched by his new name. As the Clan chanted iSkywalker! Skywalker!/i to the skies, Streampaw noticed the elder lean forward and whisper something to Firestar. Curiousity pricked at her as she saw her Father's eyes widen. iWhat are they talking about?/i she wondered.

That night, she lay awake long after the rest of the Clan had drifted off. Sherlock was pressed against her side, purring in his sleep, but Streampaw couldn't will herself into sleep. Something was tugging at her fur , an itch in her paws that she couldn't shake. Finally, she got gingerly to her paws and slipped out of the den. iSome fresh air might do me some good anyway,/i she thought groggily.

As she made her way into the clearing, she noticed a dull ginger form climbing up the gorge. Her ears pricked. iFirestar!/i She started to call out to him, but something held her back. That itch in her paws turned into a pull she couldn't fight. Half in a daze, she followed her father, padding silently after him in the shadows as he made his way through SkyClan territory.

Finally, they came upon Skywatcher's old den. The old gray tom came padded out of the shadows to stand before Firestar. The ginger tom dipped his head. "You asked me to come."

The elder rasped, "I have to thank you. You have rebuilt the lost Clan."

The two continued like this for a while. Then it took a more ominous turn as Skywatcher's questioned Firestar about ThunderClan and loyalty. "There are difficult times ahead, and your loyalty will be tested to the upmost," The old tom warned. "Sometimes the destiny of one cat is not the destiny of the whole Clan."

There was a pause. When Skywatcher spoke again, all age had been smoothed from his mew, which echoed with the power of StarClan. "Your Clan is safe for now. But there will be three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in their paws."

Streampaw froze in shock as the prophecy rang in her ears. iThere will be three, kin of Firestar.../i Something about his words wouldn't leave her be. It was as though warriors of StarClan were whispering them in her ears, tugging at her pelt, prickling at her fur.

As Firestar begged Skywatcher to tell her more, the meaning of the prophecy hit her. iGreat StarClan! Does he mean /iusi?!/i

iAre Spottedpaw, Rustypaw, and I the Three?/i

* * *

Ooo, possible plot tweest. :D Rustypaw's POV is next. I'm trying to line these up so the Streampaw parts match up on the timeline with those of her siblings, but I make no promises. I'll let you know if anything's off.

More Quiet Before the Storm next, then more PotterFly.


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